As the rain falls
by LightningWolfHowl
Summary: Betrayal hurts all the more when it is done with the best intentions, a painful lesson both Adrien and Marinette find themselves learning. In trying to save someone he loves and finish the fight against Hawk Moth, Cat Noir knows that he's gone too far but there's no changing what he's done.
1. Betrayal

The rain thundered down constantly, relentlessly atop the parisien buildings. The torrents erupted from the gutters, pouring out into the streets dragging fallen leaves and discarded papers with them. Massive puddles formed in the roads, periodically being driven through by traffic whose wipers struggled to allow them to maintain visibility. The downpour which had started only a few minutes ago had already caused most to run for any shelter available, desperately hiding in doorways or under trees. Those trapped underneath it were quickly drenched to the bone, their clothes clinging tightly to them as idle walks became desperate charges. The city, in the dwindling light of the early evening found itself transformed, quieter than it would have been as those who occupied its boulevards fled, seeking any protection they could find against the shower. The storm brought with it an unpleasant chill, the last dying gasps of winter as April finally brought with it the promise of spring.

It changed things, namely by creating a certain atmosphere, the likes of which some of the city's impressionist painters had once depicted. Although the streets, usually bustling with people coming and going found themselves unusually empty, a new form of life in the shape of the numerous lights which were turned on took over, allowing a passer-by to get a glimpse of the goings-on inside the numerous apartments and houses, as families gathered together forming a long day of work or school, chatting and expressing relief for being inside and out of the rain. Lit up like that, Paris took on a completely new light. Gentle and warm, despite the cold of the air.

Beneath a pile of rubble which had once been a chimney stack on one of the older buildings of a large boulevard, a teenager, only fourteen years of age, stirred. Dazed, her blue gaze drifted around the rooftop, struggling to focus on anything in particular. The rain made everything blurry, dampening the dust so that it became mud. The sound of it thundering against the stone and tin of the roof was deafening, drowning out everything else which surrounded her. She let out a groan, her head falling back down so that it lay in the wet and the dirt once more. The world was spinning, growing darker. Only shutting her eyes offered some brief relief. It was proving to be a challenge not to fall into the absence which unconsciousness offered. Thinking was a task which she barely even wanted to contemplate right now, fully-aware that not passing-out would be enough of an accomplishment.

As she lay there, half buried in rubble with her ribs ever-so-politely informing her that this wasn't a position that they appreciated, she tried her best to slowly gather her wits. Shifting slightly, a sharp pain informed her that some caution was required. Ironically, the growing puddle her face was resting in served to bring her to somewhat. Spluttering, some water was dispelled from her mouth. Was she bleeding? It felt like she could have been. Gradually, the shock began to ebb away giving her control of her body and thoughts once more. It was enough to allow the teen to raise her head, just enough to get it out of the puddle. Slowly, blue eyes fluttered open once more, trying their best to focus in and allow her to regain her visual bearings.

She wasn't alone. The lithe figure of another, roughly her age stood literally right in front of her but just out of her reach. He looked down, green eyes wide, horrified. It was a long shadow which the teen cast over her. One which served to obscure his features as well. With the dark clouds behind him, he seemed to gain something of a cold halo as the daylight desperately tried to shine on through despite the rain. He remained a friend however, dare she say it her dearest of friends. At a time like this, it was instinctive, she turned to him for help. Her voice was weak, trembling somewhat she managed to croak out a few syllables:

"Cat… Please."

 _A few minutes was all it took to change a life. A fencing lesson abandoned because of an akuma attack. A simple request about an upcoming field trip to be made. A secretary busy with a phone call. It only took a moment at the wrong place, at the wrong time and everything could change. Had Adrien simply waited until Nathalie had finished to ask to go into his father's study as he would have done any other day or had her file the request in her role as secretary which seemed to include dealings of father to son as much as it did anything business related, then nothing would have changed. If he had been a minute sooner, he would have found the room empty and looked elsewhere for his parent. Had he opened the door only seconds later, then he would have found Gabriel Agreste in his study, facing the portrait of his late-wife as he so often was._

 _The circumstances are absurd and the chances of it happening to few to even begin to fathom but as Adrien opens the door and steps in, he finds his father slowly rising up on a platform, coming from some place he didn't even know existed. They lock eyes and stay frozen, simply starring at one another. In an instant, Gabriel knows the game is up._

Ladybug tried to lift herself up once more. With every passing moment, she regained a little more of a feeling of her body and self-awareness. The weight on her back was still proving to be too great however, not quite crushing her but still enough to keep her pinned in place. Her painful arms and ribs informed her that she was about to get out of this one without any help. A mind can be just as powerful as any weapon, her Lucky charm had taught her that much over the years. If she lacked the physical strength to free herself, then maybe she could think of some way out. There had to be some kind of a solution.

Cat Noir just stared, his eyes still wide and his mouth slightly ajar. He seemed disconnected. In shock. Her plea seemed to have bounced clean off of him, not even registering in the slightest. He would be of no help to her, she quickly realized still trying to piece together what had happened. Her mind is still spinning in more ways than one. It struggled to figure out just how she had gone from looking out over the city and informing her friend that the rain was coming to lying here uselessly like this. Her first thought was akuma but there had been no warning and everything was too calm, almost as if someone had pressed the pause button leaving just her and her ally up here on the rooftop in the rain. It continued to pelt them, relentless as if it's trying to drive home some manner of a point.

Just when she was about to scream at him for help, her eyes locked onto her yo-yo. It was lying just a few feet away. Reaching out, she bit her lower lip, muffling a yelp of pain to the best of her ability as she did so. Her fingers were tantalizingly close, despite her muscles screaming at her to stop and that this really wasn't helping things. In her mind, Ladybug was already going over the possible ways she could get out of this mess if she could just reach her tool: if she could grapple onto something, she might be able to pull herself out, alternatively, she still had her Lucky Charm to use, that might just supply her with something to get this rubble off of her. After that, it wasn't impossible that a doctor would be required and by extension a good and feasible excuse as to just what had happened to her.

The tip of her index and middle finger brushed against the yo-yo before in a flash, it was kicked away from her. Startled, she looked up into the eyes of the culprit a mixture of startled and devoid of understanding:

"Cat?"

" _This is all your fault!" Adrien's yells carry through the entirety of the mansion, they're somewhere between angry and despaired. "You're him! You're Hawk Moth! All these akumas, people getting hurt! It's all you!"_

" _Adrien! Wait! Let me explain!"_

 _His father follows him as he runs through his home, desperately trying to put some distance between the two of them. He's not thinking. He can't think right now. At times like that, he usually does the only thing that he can do and retreats to his room. The sanctuary of which allows him to don his mask and escape. He can't right now however as his parent is intent on pursuing him. They've already made it up the stairs. The disruption is enough to prompt Nathalie to hang up, not even giving an excuse. The shock on her face is clear to read. Gorilla arrives a second later, alerted by the uncharacteristic shouts. A brief glance to the secretary confirms his fears. They don't intervene, standing back and letting things play out, powerless but to do otherwise._

 _Adrien reaches the door to his room. Gabriel is mere steps behind him._

 _With a single violent action, the teen turns the handle in a way which feels as if the brass knob might come off in his hand. He doesn't care. All he wants is to get inside and lock the door. The door is swung open, its hinges creaking in protestation at the unusual roughness with which it's being treated. He takes a step in, already savouring the release which the privacy of his room has to offer. His hand never leaves the door eager to slam it shut behind him, creating a real and definitive barrier between them. He's half way there when in a flash, his father grabs a hold of the wood stopping him. The blonde boy with green eyes looks back over his shoulder angry but also fearful. Tears threaten to flow._

" _I can bring back your mother."_

 _It sounds almost like a plea, a desperate request for reason and to be heard out. A second later and he releases the door and Adrien is gone, disappearing inside, a moment later. Giving in to sobs, he locks himself in, just as the man's strange words begin to dawn._

Cat Noir stared down at his friend. He seemed to have recovered at least somewhat from the shock. At least partially, there was still something about his demeanour which seemed to indicate that some of this was all a surprise to him and he was struggling to figure out just what had happened. For a moment, they simply stood still. The yo-yo lay now well out of her reach, kicked there beyond a doubt intentionally. The perpetrator remained silent, refusing to voice his reasons or give any manner of explanation for his actions. Stunned and with the lingering shock of the attack, Ladybug couldn't bring herself to ask. Her mouth hung open, ready to ask just what he thought he was doing or demand that her ally help her. The words seemed to be stuck, refusing to come.

Very slowly, as if anything too sudden might cause the building they were on to collapse, Cat Noir crouched down in front of her. They weren't quite level but it spared her from having to crane her neck as much as she had been. The rain was endless, battering down even harder than it had been before. Despite its thunder as it came down against the surfaces of the city, battering them like a drum, her ears were able to pick up a very faint beep, one which served to send a cold chill down her spine. Her gaze travelled down, away from those bright green eyes of his and down to his hand, more specifically the ring which adorned one of his fingers.

Four minutes left, the timer was going down.

 _Cataclysm!_ The sudden cry echoed through her mind almost painfully bringing with it the recollection of just what had happened. It came back clear as day, having happened only a moment ago. She saw everything which her own eyes had witnessed and her mind was able to make up enough of the rest for it to all make some form of sense. She felt sick all of a sudden, her stomach turning over as she lay there. Fear gradually began to grip her, as the realization of both what had occurred and its implications abruptly hit home. Powerless, all she could do was mutter a single word, a refusal to admit what was happening and a desperate plea to the world for it not to be so:

"No…"

His own attention trailed down to the ring on his hand, noticing as she had that he was running out of time. He would have to be quick.

 _Gabriel Agreste stands tall and solemn as the day begins to die, the last rays of sunlight cast a warm glow over the portrait of his beloved wife. He knows he has a visitor but doesn't deign to turn around. Instead, his eyes remain riveted on the image of a woman now departed from this life. Silence hangs heavily but neither of the two break it. In a way it suits them, giving them both time to gather their thoughts. If he's concerned, he's not letting onto it. The man's pokerface is as legendary as his sudden and brutal shows of cold temper which those who know him do their best to avoid. It's a while before he finally talks, refusing to turn around and acknowledge the other person in the room by actually facing them._

" _Come to bring me in, have you? I'm surprised you didn't bring Ladybug with you."_

 _Cat Noir stirs but says nothing. He sticks to the shadows, as if he fears the dwindling daylight might somehow be enough to shine through his mask and reveal his true face. Adrien isn't strong enough for this. He figures that the man must reason that his son is the one to have informed the heroes about him. That suits the teen well-enough, he'd rather his alter-ego stays out of this. For the moment, he doesn't quite know what to do. There's a considerable part of him which longs for nothing more than to end. He doesn't know if he's powerful enough to face Hawk Moth. He's never tried. Right now however, it isn't the villain he's faced with but rather his father. They're one and the same, he's still struggling to get that through his head._

 _Sticking to the darker regions of the room, he dares to come a little closer. His staff is drawn, weary. He doesn't attempt to conceal it. It serves its purpose, a clear warning: try anything and I'll attack. Finally he stops. It takes all of his self-control to prevent his attention from creeping over to the image of the woman as it almost inevitably does when he's in her presence. Finally, he dares to speak, forcing himself to remain as calm as humanly possible. He wants this to sound professional, serious and not like he's some frightened kid:_

" _Your son called me. He said you could bring his mother back and that that's why you're doing all this. Is that true?"_

" _With your miraculous alongside the Ladybug miraculous it is." He seems calm given the situation. There's no doubting that he's curious, wondering just where all of this is going. "Together, they have the power to grant any wish."_

 _It takes all of Cat Noir's self-control to remain steely faced and not to display the brief excitement which courses through his body. Already, he knows there is going to be a price for this._

She hadn't seen it coming. In a way, neither of them had. Right up until the last second, a part of him had been convinced that he didn't have it in him. That something would stop him and say that this wasn't right. There had been no such barrier. If his own moral compass had screamed at him it wasn't enough to prevent him from carrying out his plan. In truth, it wasn't the fruit of much reflection. Ladybug trusted him, it had never crossed her mind that when he called up to inform her of an akuma attack that it might be a lie. She hadn't looked behind her to check what he was doing and hadn't expected the chimney stack to come down quite so quickly or violently. Perhaps, she had hoped that he would have her back and protect her from such an attack. Not once had she imagined that he could ever be the cause.

He took a deep breath, shaking. It was still possible to go back. He could pull her out. She would be furious. Their friendship would be in tatters and the trust which existed between them forever broken but that would be the full extent of the damage.

The image of his mother remained plastered behind his eyes. In part, she reminded him of just why he was doing this. He'd been hurting for so long since she had passed that all he found himself wanting was some form of relief. Having her back would do more than simply numb the pain as he had been struggling to do for the past year, it would vanquish it once and for all. More than that, he would have his father back rather that the cruel ghost of the man he had once known. For all of that however, he found himself seeing her lying there pinned under the rubble he had caused to crash down upon her. He felt sick. He wanted this to end.

The rain drowned everything out as he stood there, a part of him still torn. There was anger behind the eyes of the girl he had grown to love. She knew what he had done. There had been no other choice, the teen reasoned. Ladybug would never trust Hawk Moth and thus would never have consented to any of this. Talking about it would only serve to raise suspicions making force far more difficult to use. At least like this he had been able to use the advantage of surprise and hopefully limit some of the damage. His eyes glassed over becoming cold, calculating at the same time he resolved to make his heart out of stone until this was all over. It wasn't lost on his friend who let out a gasp, no doubt realizing just what was about to happen.

" _I'll help you on three conditions."_

 _Cat Noir speaks firmly leaving no room for debate. He will walk out if necessary. Run and never return if required. One thing is clear in his mind: he will not live with Hawk Moth. His eyes almost glow as they stand there, surrounded by darkness with little more than the lights from the lamps in the street outside to allow them to see. He's holding onto his staff, using it as something of a support. Without it, it feels as if he might collapse and his legs give way beneath him. It's the only way to prevent himself from shaking. The last thing he wants is for Gabriel to become suspicious, to wonder why a teenager and his dead mother are having such a great effect on one of Paris' famous superheroes._

" _Name them." Business-like, professional, as always, his father isn't one to mess around._

" _One: no one gets hurt." He raises his fingers so as to count them, ensuring that he's as clear as humanly possible. "Two, when it's all over you stop. No more Hawk Moth, no more akumas. You hand over your miraculous and call it quits. Finally, I want a mask or something. This stays anonymous. I don't want you or your son or anyone else knowing who I am."_

 _The man hesitates, contemplating the offer. There will be no negotiation. The terms are simple, moral as far as Cat Noir sees things. If it doesn't suit Gabriel Agreste then he'll walk away. If the man is honest about his intentions, then three very simple requirements shouldn't be cause for much trouble. The fact that it's drawing out as long as it is concerns him somewhat. Yet he doesn't push. Recognising the man's "thinking face" as his brow furs and he rubs his chin for a few seconds. Then, without saying a word. The man takes a series of steps towards him, bridging the gap between them. His strides are long, confident. Adrien quickly recognises them and the man's demeanour as those he adopts when he is going about his business. He knows Hawk Moth's answer before it's even given to him. The man holds out his hand, a universal sign of both trust and the offering of perhaps not friendship but an understanding:_

" _We have a deal."_

"M… Marinette?"

It was the only thing he'd been able to utter since the chimney had come down. He stood there, her earrings clutched tightly in his right hand. For the first time, he found himself face to face with the girl under the mask. She looked up at him, blue eyes wide, terrified. The waters ran down her face, causing her hair to sag loosely and cling to her skin. Her face was battered, bruised and marked with some grazes from the rubble. Along with the rain however were some tears pain both physical and from the betrayal of someone she no doubt trusted and had assumed would never willingly hurt her as well as the shame of being discovered. Both Adrien and Cat Noir knew this teenager, she linked the two of them in more ways than just the one. That friendly and somewhat clumsy girl from class, could she really be the person who became the formidable Ladybug? It seemed impossible and yet in some odd, twisted way he couldn't quite wrap his head around, it all made sense.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He'd dreamed about in the past more than once. Ladybug and Cat Noir would defeat Hawk Moth together. The villain would be carted off by the authorities, his wrongs put right by the two of them. With Paris safe, they could breathe and finally be more than just heroes. Finally, they would remove the masks, letting the other see them for who they truly were. It would be awkward for a moment but the uneasiness would pass and turn to laughter maybe even something a little more.

Yet here he was, drenched to the skin looking into the eyes of "his lady", a friend whom he had betrayed. There was too much pain there to be ignored. She seemed to dominate it for a moment, reaching out. Desperately, she struggled to try and free herself from the rubble, all the while trying to snatch her miraculous back. He remained frozen there. The painful irony of the bitter realization still settling in. Of all the people in the world, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was perhaps the one he would want to protect the most from harm. He'd experienced her kindness and selfishness first-hand more than once. Together with the awareness that he had just already hurt Ladybug, it was enough to cause the voice in his head to command him to hand back her earrings and to stop this folly before the damage done was irreversible.

"Give her back!" The teen demanded a mixture between a plea and a scream.

The use of a pronoun caused him to turn to look towards his hand. Floating next to it was a kwami. Red with black dots, it was very much a ladybug. Strangely, he noted that the little being was offering little to no resistance. In truth, he knew relatively little about them and wasn't entirely sure if they were even capable of fighting back if they happened to be torn away from their owners. Whatever the case, she was surprisingly docile. Simply hovering there, eyes wide and pained, silently pleading with him to do as the girl ordered and to return the miraculous to its rightful holder. He couldn't help his shaking, not any more. Perhaps she might have mistaken it for him shivering from the cold, more likely the teen had too much on her mind to notice such things right now.

He hesitated for a moment, his own fingers lingered just above his ring. If he removed it, then things would be equal. She could see who he truly was and hopefully realize that he didn't want to do this. Hurting others had never been something he had intended to do. She would see him for who he truly was just as he had been able to see her.

 _Gabriel comes in to see his son some time after Cat Noir has left. The hero promises to return soon with both miraculouses. He leaves it at that, not asking for any further details or just how he plans to accomplish such a feat. He finds the door unlocked and the teen sitting on his bed. His eyes are lost out of his window into the darkness of a night from which the stars have been hidden by the clouds. The father says nothing, choosing simply to sit next to him. Adrien doesn't react, continuing to stare listlessly into the darkness. There's still anger and resentment there, he's simply too lost to voice it right now. In a while, perhaps not for a long time, things will be simpler and scores can be settled but for the time being, such notions are far removed from the boy's mind as he finally stirs, acknowledging the presence of another in his room._

" _Father…" His voice is quiet, barely anything more than a whisper. "I don't want a part of this. Whatever happens, it's between you and Cat Noir."_

 _The man doesn't question how he knows what passed between him and the superhero some hours before. There are many ways by which he could have known. Instead, the man simply nods, silently understanding._

Cat Noir stopped himself from removing his ring. No… He couldn't hurt her like that. Ladybug had already been betrayed by her partner in crime or more appropriately crime-fighting. That blow would be terrible enough without him adding on another layer. Marinette didn't deserve to be hurt in the same way. Adrien was her friend, knowing that he was just as involved in the plot and betrayal could easily prove to be heartbreaking. Best he continue to allow her to be fooled by the mask and the attitude. As cruel as it might have been – he wasn't denying that it wasn't – it could easily have been the lesser of two evils as the young hero saw things. He didn't know if after today he could still be friends with her. Certainly not as her superpowered ally but even in school, the teen found himself struggling to believe that he would ever be able to look her in the eye, knowing just what he had done and put her through without her knowing...

His fingers were touching the metal he had come so close but gradually, they released, allowing the disguise to linger. It wasn't something which had gone unnoticed by the teen. Her eyes rested on his hands for a moment before travelling back up to his face. She'd stopped her yelling, realizing that it served no purpose whatsoever. Instead, she opted for pleading silently with him. She didn't ask why he was doing this, neither did she attempt to guess. There was enough about his actions to clue her in to the fact that this wasn't something that he particularly enjoyed. The rage was replaced only by a single question which she dared not ask: why? There was no forgiveness however, there never would be.

Some more frantic beeping informed him that he was running out of time. Two minutes, that wasn't enough to get much done. He would need at least half of that to run away and to ensure that she didn't follow. A part of him wanting nothing more than to flee now and put as much distance as possible between them, he turned away. He would jump into the darkness and disappear, it would make things easier and more bearable for him. With Ladybug or rather Marinette out of sight, she might be at least slightly more out of mind, allowing him to concentrate on the task at hand and what completing it would mean for him and his family as a whole. Standing on the edge of the building, his green gaze focused on his house. He could see it, there in the distance. His father would be home, waiting patiently. The man wouldn't sleep or eat if that was what was required. The sooner this was over and done with, the sooner he could focus on the future which would hopefully be a great deal brighter than this day was turning out to be.

Her sobs cut through the storm like a knife. Somehow they reached his ears perfectly, almost undistorted by the thundering of the rain or the sounds of the city below. They stopped him in his tracks, causing him to spin slowly on his heels back to see her. He couldn't leave her, he realized. Not like this at any rate. Aware of his time constraint, he rushed over. Using his staff, he placed in underneath some of the rubble, weighing down on it with his body in an attempt to lever some of it up and allow her to escape. Despite everything, she didn't refuse the help, taking advantage of the assistance to crawl forwards, an activity which was evidently painful. It was almost agonizing progress but he maintained the pressure until she was free. There was a crash as he withdrew his weapon, allowing the bricks and mortar to fall once more.

Although free, she remained shaken. On her hands and knees, the teenager coughed, evidently in some pain. Green eyes scanned her body, searching for any obvious injuries which could put her in any danger. He hadn't intended to harm her, merely to ensure that she no longer posed a threat and that he could remove her miraculous without her being able to put up a fight. Collapsing chimneys were rather difficult to control however and people were decidedly fragile. Thankfully, she seemed to have escaped with little more than a few cuts and bruises. He was cautious as he reached down, taking her left arm with his right hand and pulling her to her feet. Once more, she accepted the help. Allowing herself to be coaxed up so that she stood uneasily on her two feet. A grimace distorted her features as she struggled to maintain her balance. Perhaps the attack had done more damage that he had initially thought.

In a flash, she lashed out. It wasn't a punch thankfully but rather a desperate grab at the hand which held her miraculous. Cat Noir was only just fast enough to pull it back, raising it high and out of her reach. With his other hand, he pushed her back gently but firmly. It was a task which was made easier by her injuries and the fact that without her powers, he now had the advantage. Still, she persisted for quite a few moments, continuing to struggle even though she must have known just like him that it wasn't going to get her anywhere. Finally, she stopped, out of breath and with the raw flesh of her grazed hands complaining loudly that this was something she shouldn't be doing. Instead, she breathed out in a tearful and trembling voice:

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I- I'm..." Explaining himself proved to be more complicated that he would ever have thought possible. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he finally managed to reply: "It's for the best. This time tomorrow everything will be over."

"What do you mean?" There was fear in her voice as she watched him take a few steps away.

"I can't explain right now." His ring bleeped, informing him that he was on his last minute. "I promise, I'll give you your miraculous back. I just really need it right now."

"Cat-" One last frantic plea was uttered as she realized he was about to disappear.

"I've got to go!"

He left no more room or debate, diving off of the rooftop before making his way out into the night, leaping over rooftops as he went. He needed to be out of sight. His priority wasn't even getting home immediately although that was something which he would have to see to quite quickly. He was under no allusions. With both the cat and the ladybug miraculouses he was a threat. It wouldn't be long before the other heroes of Paris and maybe, depending on just how desperate the remaining miraculous holders were, even the regular authorities were after him. No doubt Hawk Moth could hide him. He'd been hiding himself well-enough for these past few months. That still meant that he had to be home sooner rather than later. He came to a stop a couple of blocks away, half way between the Agreste mansion and where he had abandoned Marinette. His time was up, there was no sense tempting fate by trying to make it in one.

The rain continued to pelt down as Cat Noir vanished leaving Adrien alone on an old building, looking out over the city. Plagg materialized seconds later, tired but perhaps not as utterly drained as he was used to seeing the small being. He could tell that he disapproved, he'd already voiced that opinion more times than it was welcome. They had argued but ultimately the small creature had very little say in just what the holder of his miraculous chose to do. _You'll regret it..._ The words weren't as taunting as they were sincere. He had been right of course, standing there, there was little the teen would rather have done than go back in time and reverse his actions. He couldn't however, the damage had been done and remained carved in stone. There was no going back now... Reaching into his pocket, he refused to speak, simply offering the kwami a piece of Camembert. He said nothing but accepted it willingly albeit not with the same wolfish appetite he normally devoured the smelly cheese with.

He ran a hand through his sodden hair, trying to remove it from his eyes. Tears stung at the corners of them as the reality of what he had just done gradually began to sink in. He saw the look on his friend's face as she realized what he had done and what he was about to do. The shame of a good person who found herself powerless to stop her own friend from stealing her power, leaving her helpless and injured. He was going to hell, he told himself, just for that one single action. Nothing could ever justify it. He prayed that his mother, when she returned, never learned of what had been done to bring her back. She would have a heart attack if she discovered just what her husband and son had done so that she might live with them once more. Of all things, it was the movement of Ladybug's kwami, a being he didn't even know the name of, which drew his attention. It hovered near his face, staring at him with its large eyes filled with a mixture of pain and perhaps more surprisingly, some compassion.

"Are you hungry too?" His voice was shaking, tearful.

"Not for smelly old cheese." The comment earned a half-hearted grunt of amusement. "Please Adrien, you don't have to do this. Just go back and apologize. Marinette will understand."

"I can't… Not now. I have to do this. For mom, for dad, for everyone in Paris and for me. If I turn back now-"

"But it's not too late!" The kwami argued moving on to a full-blown plea. "I don't know what you're planning to do but-"

"If I turn back now, it will all be for nothing!" He snapped, growing angry and eager to put an end to the discussion once and for all. "Plagg, are you done?"

"Ju't 'bout." The response was almost impossible to make out for the cheese filling his mouth.

"Good..."

His eyes fell back upon his mansion. It was still there, waiting for him. It seemed as if the light, fighting its way through some of the clouds casting a cool silver glow over the building which appeared somewhat ominous to him. He did his best to gather his thoughts together. Just a little bit longer and he would be able to abandon this charade for good. Until then, he needed to ensure that when Cat Noir handed over the miraculouses to Hawk Moth, the man had no reason to doubt his motivations and therefore suspect who might be hiding beneath the mask. _Just a little bit more…_ He told himself, unsure if he had anything left to give.

Marinette cautiously pulled her phone out of the pocket of her jacket. The screen was badly cracked and she would almost certainly need to contemplate buying a new one when this was all over. To her amazement however, as she pressed the button, life surged into it albeit somewhat more dimly than usual. It was all that she needed. Going into her contacts, she was quick to find Alya. She was forced to shield the device from the rain, using her own body as best as she could. She wiped some of the water off with her jacket as she pressed the dial button, silently pleading that her best fried would answer. Waiting for a reply, the teen allowed herself to slump down, alleviating some of the pain that she was in in the process. Her bones and muscles ached as she sat there but it wasn't quite bad enough for her to think that she'd broken anything. No doubt she would be black and blue tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, it didn't look like she was going to have the luxury of waiting that long.

Alya picked up, her greeting was warm and bubbly and despite everything, it was enough to bring a soft smile to her face.

"Alya..." She winced with pain, her ribs reminding her that only a few minutes ago she had been buried under rubble. "It's me- No. I'm not alright… Don't call the cops… Listen, I need you do something for me. It's really important, like fate of Paris important- no this isn't a joke. I'm going to send you – ow – send you an address… You need to go there, take Nino and Chloe – yes, Chloe Bourgeois – with you. There's an old man who lives there. He'll know what to do. I'll send you my coordinates afterwards. Please, hurry..."

She hung up, not leaving room for any more questions as she tried to gather together enough strengths and wits to type in the address. A few seconds later she pressed send. Her arm fell as the will to move abruptly left her. She took a few deep breaths, ignoring the pain in her ribs, trying once more to force herself to remain conscious. Sitting there, she raised her gaze up to the dark sky and the merciless rain which showed no sign of stopping. _Please don't let me be too late…_ She pleaded silently.


	2. Falling

**_Author's note: Thanks for the reviews, they really help fix mistakes, etc. I'm going to try and keep this to an update a week if possible._**

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It was still raining outside. Cat Noir left muddy footsteps on the floor as he walked through the manor house. None of the residents complained however. Not even Gabriel, a man who was famous for his lack of tolerance of all things dirt related, blinked as the sodden hero made his way inside. For once, he made no attempt to be smart or sneaky, simply walking in the main door as any other visitor to the Agreste mansion would have done. It was Nathalie who greeted him, evidently somewhat surprised by his appearance and demeanour. He was uncharacteristically sober and a mess to boot. He didn't try to pretend that he'd been anywhere else that outside during one of the worst downpours Paris had been unfortunate enough to witness since the beginning of the year.

It was clear that she wasn't too sure where to stand as far as he was concerned. She studied him head to foot, not attempting to hide her displeasure at the idea of him trailing mud and filth all through the house. On the other hand, he was hardly a regular guest. His decidedly unusual mission or rather the promise that he had made was enough to warrant some special treatment. She tentatively offered him a towel. He didn't respond, his attention focused only on his father, the man had chosen his usual spot atop the stairs giving him both a good vantage and forcing all others to look up in order to see him. Sometimes, it practically felt as if he were sitting in a throne the way that he seemed to occupy that relatively small space. Remaining silent, he felt himself clutch his prize a little tighter, ignoring the slight physical pain which came with the action. The kwamis had been warned, there was to be not a breath about who he was before, during or after this was over.

"I've got what you asked for." He announced taking a few steps forwards. "The ladybug miraculous is yours and I'll give you the cat as soon as I have my mask."

His declaration was met only by silence. Stunned disbelief hung in the air. Any pokerfaces were vanished, replaced instead with looks of astonishment. His father, a man some considered to have a heart of stone, raised his eyebrows, eyes wide as he focused on the hero standing there, claiming a triumph. To prove his point, he held out his hand and opened it so that all could see the earrings which lay inside of it. As if on cue, Tikki made herself visible, darting out from where she had been sheltering behind his leg and hovering next to him. She gave him one last pained look, a desperate request for him to end this madness before the damage was irreversible. Cat Noir paid the small being no heed, instead choosing to keep his gaze locked on Gabriel Agreste.

Very slowly, the man began his descent. He didn't even seem to blink, his attention was focused solely on the pieces of jewellery in the hero's hand, not even on the kwami bound to them that turned to face him as he drew nearer. Nathalie and Gorilla maintained their distance, watching the scene but not even daring to do so much as to exchange a glance. Gabriel finally came to a stop less than a foot away from his son. His eyes remained very much rooted on the miraculous held in the teen's open palm. He stared at them as if they were made out of dust and might vanish at any moment or if someone so much as breathed on them. The miraculous formed a Holy Grail of sorts to him when associated with that of the cat. Together, as he saw it, they would offer him the chance to bring back the one that he loved.

Then, Gabriel did something truly astonishing: he smiled. It was a genuine one, not the sort which he periodically (incredibly rarely) put on for the cameras. It was something which lead his son to a rather startling conclusion that his father was happy. How long had it been since he had last seen him smile like that? Sadly, it had been a very long time now or at least it seemed like it was to him. He knew that it pre-dated his mother's death. Maybe now, he dared to hope, they would be able to see more of it, if his mother finally did return. Despite everything, that single gesture was enough to let him dream that things might be alright in the end. They wouldn't be as they were before all of this madness but they might be better than they had been even last week.

"I had begun to think I would never see it..." The man muttered, his eyes wide still trapped in a state of astonishment. It took a moment before he managed to gather his wits enough for him to turn to face the young man in a mask. "You have no idea what this means to me! What it will mean for my son!"

It was with a sharp and unpleasant brutality that he found himself thrown back onto that rooftop and remembered the cost of all of this. Somewhere out there, Marinette would likely still be trapped atop a rooftop under the thundering rain. She would be in some pain. Physical but also emotional both of which were because of him and him alone. One man's loss was another one's gain or so the saying went. The joy which Gabriel was currently experiencing as he found himself looking at the treasure which had eluded him for so long came at the price of a friendship forever in tatters and another's suffering. That was something which Cat Noir wasn't about to forget or to let Hawk Moth ignore. He doubted that the man wasn't aware of some of the suffering which had been caused by his actions, it was more likely that he had simply deemed it a necessary evil.

There was nothing which would be able to remove the memory of those few minutes from his mind. No secret formula or elixir was available to allow him to forget. It would be a burden that he would have to bear for the rest of his life. He fancied that it would weigh heavily on his shoulders for a long time even after his mother had returned to them. That last look she had given him as he left her lingered behind his eyes, haunting him despite his best efforts to focus on the task at hand.

"Ladybug didn't give her miraculous to me." He let out a heavy sigh, trying to rid the image from his mind. "I had to take it, so you had better keep your part of the bargain."

"You did that?" Gabriel's eyes narrowed abruptly as he eyed him, his face became marked with suspicion. "Why?"

"Because I can see a way out of this which doesn't involve fighting. You're not a bad person, neither is your son. You just want your family to be together again. I can get that. I'm not sure Ladybug could. She'd probably try and stop you."

He couldn't substantiate that claim. It was a guess and a chance that he hadn't been willing to take. If she had even the faintest inkling of who he had been dealing with, he doubted that she would have been willing to part with her miraculous. He was certain that had their positions been reversed, he would have refused to help Hawk Moth point blank. It wasn't necessarily that his goals were evil – what was so terrible about trying to bring back someone you cared about? - so much as she would see him as being untrustworthy. Ladybug, Marinette, they were two people who had never known Gabriel Agreste before he had lost his wife. They had never known just how much that one woman meant to him. If his actions as a supervillain were inexcusable, he had been driven to them by desperation and a broken heart rather than an actual desire to hurt someone. Now, with any luck, they would be able to right some of those wrongs and make amends for the months of akuma attacks Paris had been forced to endure.

Gabriel cleared his throat and straightened himself. In doing so, he regained a composure and rectitude which his son was somewhat more familiar with. He realized that now was not the time to be basking in the imminent glory of his victory but rather to ensure that it was achieved.

"Of course… Forgive me." He looked up towards the door. "In that case, we'd better move quickly. It's a fair bet she'll be coming after you with some of her friends."

"Probably..." Looking down at his feet, bitter regret came over him once more.

"Then we'll have to move quickly. Nathalie will take you to a change of clothes so you can keep that secret identity of yours. After that, you can join me in my lair. There are preparations to be made."

Just how there could be so much rain up there was beyond her. It hadn't stopped since she had found herself abandoned up here. What was bearable as Ladybug was far harder to tolerate as Marinette, a regular human being. It hadn't taken long for her to realize that she needed to find shelter of some kind. Despite her still aching muscles, she'd rotten to her feet. A couple of seconds was all it had required for her to realize that the tin roof was impossibly slippery. A quick glance had confirmed what she already knew and that she didn't want to fall. Crawling along on all fours was hardly graceful but it was most certainly safer. Even so, she felt decidedly less sure as her civilian self than she would have been as a hero. If only she could have blamed all of that on her injuries. The pain was slowly but surely fading away. She had been fortunate indeed in that respect. She was fairly confident that this time tomorrow she would have some nasty bruises but that that was largely the full extent of the damage.

There was no way down from here. There were no ladders or windows that she could easily – and more importantly safely – access. The teen had quickly found herself to be trapped. Whether that had been Cat Noir's intention or not remained to be seen. With nowhere else to go and nothing to do but wait before she was rescued, finding some form of shelter had then taken priority. She had found nothing atop the building save another chimney which she rested her back against. It provided at least something of a windbreak and probably kept the odd drop or two off of her. She was still well and truly drenched however and the chill of the night was beginning to set in now. Drawing her legs in close, she tried her best to keep warm, telling herself that a rescue would be coming in the form of her friends. They had been given the instructions and if they didn't know what to do Master Fu would help them. A text from a quarter of an hour ago had confirmed that help was well and truly on the way, all she needed to do was hang tight.

With little else to do, she found herself replaying the events over and over again in her head in an endless loop. Each time, she examined the details more thoroughly, looking for something that she might have missed which could possibly explain the sudden turn of her friend. It had been a premeditated move, that much was clear. Everything had been clean and quick, perhaps some improvisation had been involved but not enough to lead her to believe it was a heat of the moment action. He'd obviously put some thought into how he was going to get her miraculous. There was little doubt in her mind about that much. The question was : why? His explanations had been vague at best. Had she known who hid behind the mask, then she might have stood a better chance of being able to guess just what motivated him. If he was to be believed, then he would return it to her when he was finished. It was what he used it for in between which concerned her.

"Marinette!"

It was a welcome cry which cut through the night. Stirred from her thoughts, the teen found herself looking up from the spot in front of her which she had been fixing so intently for the past few minutes. In doing so, she found herself realizing that her wet hair was in her her eyes. With a shaking hand, she brushed it out of her face. There, rushing over were her friends. Despite everything, she found herself managing a watery smile as she allowed relief to wash over her for a couple of seconds. They had made it. A part of her, one which she had tried her best not to listen to had wondered if they ever would. The group were upon her in an instant, demanding to know what had happened and if she was alright. It combined to form some strange sort of indescribable mix which proved to be difficult to make out.

Concern marked their features, even Queen Bee, usually too wrapped up in her own importance to take much notice of others around her appeared to be somewhat shaken in finding her like this. It was true, she was a mess. Her clothes were torn, her body battered and bruised and she had been sitting out in the rain for far too long. There was a lot of things for them to be worrying about but right now, she wasn't one of them. Marinette took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to steady herself. Her eyes ran over the trio in front of her. They were all in costume. That was good. Master Fu must have trusted them enough to- It was to her astonishment that she noticed the figure of a small elderly man holding onto the back of Carapuce, being given what she could only describe as a piggyback. The man was quick to hop down however. He appeared more relaxed that the others, troubled but perhaps not in the same panicked fashion as they were.

Finally, it was Alya who managed to calm them all down. Smiling softly as she knelt down in front of her friend, she placed her hands on either side of the injured teen. Gently she applied some pressure. Marinette nodded once, confirming that it was okay before allowing herself to be guided to her feet.

"A rooftop some place?! Could you have been any more vague?!" It was a jest, affectionate way to try and alleviate some of the stress was what Rena Rouge came up with.

"I'm sorry..."

"Are you okay?" It was Nino who asked, coming over slowly.

"Yeah. It's Cat Noir. He attacked me."

That one single statement was enough to strike her friends dumb. All of them had been able to fight alongside the hero. They might not have spent as much time with him as she had and therefore might not know him as much but he remained a hero of Paris and a figure that they could trust to always have their backs. She hadn't told them just what the cause of her predicament was before calling, reasoning that it would raise too many questions. She had needed them here quickly. Now that they were here, she could try to explain just what had happened, even if she herself was somewhat confused by it. In truth, she knew that it would be impossible to explain her friend's actions, if only because she had no idea just what had driven him to act the way he did.

She struggled to stand atop the roof, her legs trembling underneath her. It was as much from residual shock as it was from the cold of the night which was beginning to seep deep into her bones. It was a challenge to put on a brave face. She bit her lower lip, trying to challenge her inner Ladybug even without her miraculous. Marinette felt that she knew her friends and allies well enough to know that if they didn't think she was up to helping they would drag her kicking and screaming to the nearest ECU, if they deemed it necessary for her own good. Therefore, she wasn't about to give them a reason to make her sit this one out. She took a couple of deep breaths, using their somewhat stunned pause to try and regain her composure as much as possible.

"What is he akumatized?!" The concern of Rena Rouge was real, her eyes darted around the rooftops as if she half-expected him to be spying on them from somewhere.

"I don't think so." Marinette shook her head slowly, thinking back to the encounter. "I don't know what's going through his head but he's got my miraculous."

"So what? He's Ladybug Noir now?" It was hard to tell from Chloe's tone if she was disregarding the situation as a minor nuisance or actually realized it's seriousness.

"Maybe much worse…" Master Fu scratched his beard, deep in thought for a moment. "Your friend, did he give a reason as to why he took the ladybug miraculous?"

"Not really. He said 'it was for the best' and that it would all be over by tomorrow..." Her voice trailed off as a terrible thought occurred to her. She voiced it in little more than a whisper. "He's going to make a wish, isn't he?"

Staring down at the mask in his hands felt strange. He was accustomed to wearing one. Even before this madness with miraculouses and hidden identities had began, his life as a model had prompted him to try and hide his face on more than one occasion. Still, this felt very much strange. If Cat Noir's disguise belonged to a hero, then this was that of a criminal. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers mindlessly for a few moments, his mind lost in the world of what he had done and what was still to happen. The earrings of the ladybug sat only a few inches away on the end of the table, Tikki looked up at him, blue eyes still the same regretful pleading. She didn't know why he was doing this. He wouldn't explain. Too many questions, to much questioning of himself. For once, he wanted to be allowed to do the wrong thing, to help the madman turn against nature itself and to be selfish.

He had changed. The last thing he wanted was for his father to recognize him. If the man saw his clothes, they would no doubt be a dead give away. Thankfully, Hawk Moth and his helpers/allies (he wasn't entirely sure what part Nathalie and Gorilla were playing in all this) had been kind enough to supply him with a new set of clothes. They were plain, a dark sweater and jeans but it would do the job. His hair, he saw to himself, brushing it in order to ensure that it was very much Cat Noir rather than Adrien who shone through.

"You really shouldn't be doing this." Plagg continued to nag ignoring his miraculous holder's requests. "It's all kinds of wrong."

"You think I don't know that?!" His patience at an end, he had resorted to snapping in anger.

"I don't think you're thinking this through. I mean you know to bring your mother back, it's gonna cost-"

"Enough!"

He removed his ring from his finger, instantly causing the kwami to vanish. Peace and quiet at last. Well… Quiet at least, peace was something he doubted he would have the luxury of experiencing for quite some time. Acting quickly, he pulled the mask over his head, obscuring his features. He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment. His eyes remained visible, there was little to be done about that. He could only hope that his father was too wrapped up in other things to notice such a detail. It was a chance he was unfortunately going to have to take. It was with a deep breath that he finally dared to exit the room. Nathalie was outside, waiting patiently. She stood straight and proper but for all of that seemed to hesitate a moment as she stood there. Then, silently, she lead him on through the house.

He knew who would be waiting for him. What he didn't quite know was what to expect. A large part of him just wanted to hand over both miraculouses and be done with it. On the other hand, Cat Noir was only too aware that his father couldn't be trusted. If given the opportunity, there was no guarantee that Hawk Moth wouldn't go back on his word. As such, the young hero was only too aware that he needed to see this through to the end, no matter how sick the whole affair might make him feel. The lights were off throughout the building. He didn't know if that was intentional, to try and fool the inhabitants of Paris into thinking that the Agrestes were out at the moment or if nobody had thought to turn them on given everything that was going on around them. Whatever the case, it caused the entire house to become cold and somewhat repressive. He shuddered internally as he walked along, the image of Marinette's despair still plastered behind his eyelids.

He noticed Nathalie shift, her usual strict rectitude abandoned for a moment. Then, very slowly and with some hesitation, she dared to speak:

"Thank you, for what you're doing… It means a lot, to both of them."

"You're okay with all of this?" He questioned, his voice quiet, uncertain.

"I can't say that superheroes or supervillains are something I have much time for..." The woman confessed in a far more formal tone which he was more used to hearing. "I'll put up with it however if it means this place returns to some degree of normality."

That made sense. He decided it would be better to remain quiet. This was more of a business transaction than anything else. The two miraculouses on loan for a brief use and then Paris would be safe, his family would be reunited. It had to stay like that. He would take the ladybug and moth miraculous maybe even his own, back to Marinette and call it quits. She wouldn't want to be working with him in the future that much he was pretty much certain of. In truth, he wasn't sure if he himself could face that prospect.

They emerged into his father's study. The sight of his mother's painting, the one in front of which his life had been forever altered sent an unpleasant shiver down his spine. He forced himself to avert his eyes, looking down at his feet as much as possible. It felt as if his mother was somehow looking at him through the portrait, judging him, frowning upon him. As he approached slowly, all he could feel was shame. She would disapprove of this, he knew it in his heart of hearts. There were a thousand voices which told him to stop, to quit while he was ahead. It was another which he listened to however one which spoke of the promise of his lost parent being returned to him. It made him rather inclined to forget all the rest. The single notion of being back in her arms made any danger seem worth risking. As he stepped forwards to the place where his father had been standing on that fateful day he had emerged from whatever hideout he spent his time as Hawk Moth in, Adrien allowed himself to dream that soon everything would be alright.

Nathalie spoke but her words didn't quite seem to register. The world of his own personal thoughts proved to be far more enthralling. He looked down at the space beneath his feet, for the first time, he noticed that the floor wasn't quite level. She took a few steps forwards so as to stand in front of the portrait. A secret combination was entered. His green eyes tried to keep track of just what parts of the painting she was pressing, their order or whatever else she was trying to trigger. A second later, he found himself descending abruptly in what could best be described as an elevator. He was surrounded by darkness a moment later. The sensation was enough to make him feel claustrophobic, he was afraid to stretch out his arms or legs least they hit something. He was still moving though, not necessarily only down either. The darkness combined with the motion proved to be something of a dizzying mix.

As soon as light became visible, he threw himself into it. Stumbling out into somewhere he couldn't recognise. His eyes flashed around, instantly on high alert. It took all of his discipline to keep breathing steadily. There was a slightly stale smell in the air, as if the place needed a good dusting. It caused him to wrinkle his nose with disgust for a moment before pushing on. He moved slowly, cautiously, half expecting an ambush at any moment. Without his miraculous, his senses remained very much those of an average human teenager. The simple action of listening was proving to be somewhat complicated as his own heart thundered in his chest. A strange feeling of dread overcame him as he stepped fully into Hawk Moth's lair. He peered round, desperately searching for the figure of his father.

He found Hawk Moth.

The man was standing with his back to him, facing a large window with a design Adrien felt that he'd seen before. He frowned, approaching silently. How long had this place been here without him knowing? Months? Years? His father's odd absences abruptly made sense. His eyes trailed around the room briefly. There was little in here of consequence. Asides from a copious amount of butterflies which seemed to be hanging around the place, it was decidedly unremarkable. Through the window, he could just about make out some of the Paris skyline or more correctly the lights from the city. The rain continued to hammer down against the glass. With the somewhat unusual method of transportation, he couldn't say if he had travelled half-way across the city of if this was still his mansion. He would wager the latter, given that he doubted even Gabriel Agreste had the resources to dig a secret tunnel system through the underground of one of the world's most famous cities. Could this be a part of the attic which was somehow hidden?

The man turned around abruptly, his disguise instantly striking fear into the young hero. Without being able to become Cat Noir or even Plagg for comfort, he found himself feeling very much vulnerable. Despite everything, the man smiled gently, in an inviting way which Adrien hadn't witnessed in a very long time. He spoke softly, seemingly relaxed despite everything:

"Ah! There you are! Is your disguise to your satisfaction?"

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't." He looked down at his left hand which held clenched within it the two miraculouses. "Are we going to get this show on the road?"

"Of course..." Hawk Moth's voice trailed off momentarily, his attention drifting over to an open book which sat on a stand. "Do you mind if I ask you for some assistance with the preparations?"

"I'm here now..." He responded with as indifferent a shrug as he could manage.

It had taken a couple of minutes to find some appropriate shelter. Nino's house, close-by and thankfully empty with his parents at a concert had proved to be the perfect spot for a brief break offering the chance for everyone to catch their breaths. Marinette sat on a stool in silence, her head hung low. A towel had been wrapped around her shoulders in an attempt to get her at least somewhat drier. It provided some comfort, not enough but a little. In the kitchen, she could hear Nino and Master Fu preparing some tea the smell of which was slowly beginning to drift through the rooms, masking the stench of dampness with the pleasant aroma of warm herbs and spices. It was pleasant enough to wake her up from the depths she had found herself trapped in. Bitter regret had been plaguing her for some time now, causing her to slip into a silence which she was reluctant to emerge from.

The situation wasn't made much better by the fact that she had been left alone in here with Chloe of all people. If Ladybug and Queen Bee could tolerate each other, the latter even being something of a fan of the former, the same wasn't true for Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Chloe Bourgeois. The maire's daughter had been remarkably silent about the matter, even avoiding eye contact. Up until about five minutes ago that was. Now, she would give the occasional furtive glance. Each one, just a little longer than the last. The latest, she was yet to brake away from. It had turned into a stare, puzzled and confused. Perhaps a little disappointed. Finally, unable to bear it any longer and asked tentatively:

"So you're Ladybug… Like, for real?"

"Yeah… Disappointed, huh?"

She didn't reply which Marinette perceived as enough of an answer in itself. Alya emerged from the bathroom a minute later. She was carrying in her arms a collection of band-aids, antiseptic and gauzes. The teen said nothing, having already lost the argument that she was fine and didn't need any help. A part of her was still screaming that they had to move on and try and find Cat Noir before he did anything foolish. Move on and go where? They had no idea where he was. Unlike akumatized villains, he wasn't so obliging as to highlight his presence to the world. He could easily hide. If he went back to being a simple civilian, none of them would have the faintest clue who to look for. That left them stuck. Effectively trapped, waiting until he did something which revealed his location. By which time, it could easily be too late. Master Fu however had insisted on a break. She was in no condition to do anything right now, he had claimed.

The teen hissed in pain as Alya gently applied some antiseptic to a few of her grazes. The healing process seemed to hurt more than the injury itself. There was little blood, something she was grateful for. Yet another clumsy stumble for Marinette. It was amazing how those incidents seemed to have multiplied after Ladybug had first entered the scene. Despite her initial grumble, she didn't protest as her friend tended to her wounds delicately and attentively.

"He did a number on you girl!" Under the somewhat humorous tone was thinly disguised a very real concern and anger.

"He just brought the chimney down on me. I don't think he actually wanted to hurt me."

"" _Just_ brought the chimney down"… I wish you could hear yourself sometimes!"

She chose to chuckle slightly at the comment, a desperate attempt to forget some of what had just happened and pretend that everything was alright. This was just Alya giving her another row for being scatter-brained. That's all that she wanted it to be. A moment later, Master Fu and Nino rejoined them from the kitchen. The old man was carrying carefully in his hands a teapot whilst his helper brought a single mug. She raised a brow curious but saying nothing as she watched him slowly pour the drink. He did so carefully, taking care not to spill so much as the slightest drop. The way he treated it caused her to wonder if it was just tea. With the guardian, she never could be too sure. After all, this was a man who up until a few months ago she had assumed was a veterinarian who couldn't tell a kwami apart from a cat. It caused her to hesitate as he held out the cup to her, wondering just what exactly it contained:

"Drink. It will ease the pain and help you regain your strength."

She obliged, blowing softly to try and cool it before taking a tentative sip. It didn't taste half bad. More importantly, it brought with it a warm soothing sensation. It spread gradually throughout her body, filling her with a pleasant warmth which was almost enough to allow her to forget her current situation. She opened her mouth to thank the old man. He had already turned away however. He headed over to the window, looking out of it pensively periodically scratching at his beard. His expression was grave, deep in thought as he contemplated the city and the dark sky above it. She decided against disturbing him for the moment, choosing instead to take another few sips of the tea, savouring the relief it brought with it. Her friends remained silent, allowing her to recover somewhat.

They would have a thousand questions and had only asked a handful. She suspected in other circumstances they would have been a little more forceful with trying to get answers from her. Right now however everyone was a little too shell-shocked to even contemplate potentially starting up an argument. She could see them hesitating. Alya especially, wondering where the barrier between Ladybug and Marinette began and ended, more importantly who she was dealing with currently. Locking eyes, the injured teen gave a discrete nod, silently granting permission. A second later, Rena Rouge dared to speak, asking tentatively:

"So this "wish" thing, what is it and why's it such bad news?"

"Join the ladybug and the cat miraculouses together and you can make a wish, whatever you like." She informed her friends, thinking back to what the old man had told her about it. "I'm guessing that's why Cat Noir took them."

"Well what could he want to wish for?" Carapuce questioned his concern obvious as he suddenly looked towards the sky.

"I wish I knew. The truth is, outside of the superhero stuff, I don't know him at all that well." She lowered her voice to a mere whisper. "Barely at all really… It's not the wish in itself that worries me." She confessed her eyes resting listlessly on a pair of discarded trainers in the corner of the room. Despite everything, she refused to believe that Cat Noir would ever chose to harm another. "It's the consequences..."

That lead to her having to explain what Master Fu himself had told her. She figured that she must have done a decent job as he didn't bother interrupting or correcting her. As she spoke, explaining things to do them as simply and precisely as possible, bitter regret began to take hold once more. Looking down into the tea, she found herself staring down at her own reflection. How many times had Cat Noir asked to be in the loop, just a little more? She had lost count. It seemed that half of their encounters ended with her more or less politely declining, leaving him as little else than a sidekick. Had the resentment being growing all this time without her noticing it? Secret identities aside, she found herself wishing that she had told him just a little more. Hawk Moth had wanted their jewels for a reason. She had kept that from him.

The irony was that as she sat there with the rain still pouring down outside, she couldn't say why. A part of her, she supposed hadn't trusted him. At times, she scarcely trusted herself. It wasn't that she thought he would ever use the power for selfish reasons… Just why she had never once sat down with him and tell her partner about just a handful of the things that she had discovered through her adventures, she didn't know. It would seem that now they might have been paying the price. She let out a heavy sigh, lowering her head and placing it in her hands:

"I should have told him more. If he wishes for something stupid..."

"He won't." Master Fu left little room for debate, speaking firmly and decisively. "He has a good heart, as you do. If he has indeed taken the miraculouses to make a wish, he won't be doing it for himself."

"What makes you say that?" Marinette perked up somewhat at the suggestion.

"If nothing else, I am certain that he doesn't know the incantation." The man turned around to look her in the eyes.

"Well… Does anyone outside the guardians?" She turned the man's statement against him.

"A long time ago, our secrets were lost. One man discovered them many years later." Master Fu remained silent for a moment, choosing once more to look out into the darkness of the night before continuing. "He stole a great many things. Including a miraculous. Can you think of who I am referring to?"

"Hawk Moth..." Marinette muttered slowly beginning to piece things together.

Adrien's eyes flickered around the room. The runes or whatever the hell he'd just drawn on the floor made little sense to him. He had thought that he recognised some parts as almost vaguely Chinese. He wasn't allowed to focus on them for too long as Hawk Moth always seemed to have something else for him to help with. He wondered if Nathalie and Gorilla were intended to help. In an odd way, it had brought back some memories of working on projects with his father as a child. Back then, he'd always seemed to have time for him. His father had been reading passages from his old book for a few minutes now. Harmless, he had assured him, without the two miraculouses in his possession. It was merely practice. Naturally, his son hadn't been inclined to disturb him. All of this was sending shivers down his spine. This felt unnatural, they were about to go against the ways of the universe itself. Gabriel seemed to view it as a personal challenge of sorts. All his son could do was wonder if they were about to fly too close to the sun.

Ladybug would have a heart attack if she knew what he was doing.

It caused him to wonder: Would Marinette hate Adrien when this was all over? True, she might not know who he was but he would have his mother back. He would be reunited with his family because, as she saw it, of Cat Noir's actions. Perhaps, if Hawk Moth handed over his miraculous as he had promised, then she might not view it as a complete loss. After all, Paris and its inhabitants would be forever safe from akumas. She wouldn't ever trust him again but at least she might understand. At least in part, if she knew who lay behind the mask then she would do doubt realize just how selfish his motivations were. Even their perpetrator found himself to be somewhat disgusted by them. He had come too far to turn back now, he realized or perhaps more accurately tried to convince himself. Hawk Moth turned back to face him, eyes glinting slightly in the darkness as he did so.

"So… You know nothing of the ritual or incantation?"

"No. Ladybug didn't seem to think that I needed to know." There was bitter resentment as he spoke, bordering on anger about his former teammates lack of communication skills when it came to things such as this.

"How frustrating that much be..." He paused, seemingly contemplating Cat Noir's statement. "It's ready."

He closed his eyes, knowing just what was being asked of him. His ring and Marinette's earrings were still held firmly in his hand. He latched onto them, almost instinctively. They were the two things which had enabled them to fight so long. Handing them over felt not only like a complete betrayal of his friend but also went contrary to everything which they had strived so hard to prevent for all these months. Well over a year's worth of fighting would go down the drain in a split second as soon as he gave Hawk Moth what he wanted. His hand shook. A part of him demanded that he put his miraculous back on and suit up. He could still stop this, at the very least he could try and escape. So long as he had the miraculouses in his hand, there was still a chance to deny his father the victory he had been seeking. Once they were handed over however, he would be helpless. Try as he might, he couldn't quite hide his hesitation from the man. His hand was shaking ever so slightly as he raised it gradually. He tried to remind himself of his mother and the way that things had been before she had left them. Those few pleasant memories were enough to give him some courage as he prepared to do the unforgivable.

Slowly, he opened his hand, revealing the two jewels held within. He saw his father's eyes light up in an instant, the promise of his dead wife returning giving him a new burst of life. He himself seemed to hesitate in front of the miraculouses. If he blinked once, it was a lot. It was as if he couldn't quite believe what he was looking at. His movements were unsteady as he struggled to contain his obvious excitement. Finally, in a split second, he snatched them back, obviously fearful that his "ally" might abruptly change his mind. The absence made Adrien's hand suddenly feel very light indeed. There was an absence he couldn't quite explain, something lacking. He closed his hand back up, missing the ring which would once have been present there. He let out a sigh, refocusing once more on his father.

"Finally… The miraculouses are mine! Just you wait a little longer Emilie! Then we'll be together again! All of us!"

He was talking more to himself than anyone else. Seemingly forgetting about the former hero standing only a few feet away. He stood back, fully aware that any chance he had had of stopping Hawk Moth had just been handed over. Like it or not, he was now along for the ride… Standing here alongside his father, he held his breath, silently praying that everything would work out. Come sunrise, he would have his mother back and the miraculouses would be returned. He broke away as Gabriel began uttering some strange words he couldn't comprehend, instead choosing to make his way over to the window and gaze out over the city. Reaching out, he placed a hand on the glass, taking note of how cold it felt and the never ceasing rain which continued to lash down outside, never faltering or slowing. _What had he done?.._

"There's no way Cat Noir would ever work with Hawk Moth!"

Marinette's declaration was so forceful it caused her to wince, reawakening the pain in her ribcage. She was adamant. There was no way her partner, the teen she had trusted would ever side with their arch-enemy. If nothing else, despite what she had told him a few times, he wasn't that stupid. He would know that Hawk Moth was not a man whom it was safe to place any trust in. The mere suggestion that he would willingly work with someone who had been nothing but trouble for them was enough to anger her. She got to her feet, regretting the brusqueness but desperately needing to put some space between herself and the others, she chose to storm over to the window and turn her attention momentarily outside where she could lose herself a little more easily.

If she could just turn back time. She wouldn't be angry. Well… Maybe a bit. On the rooftop, for a moment, she fancied that she could have killed him when he'd first stolen Tikki, such was the pain of the betrayal. Now however, all she wanted to know was just why he had done it. What could he want so desperately that he felt his only option had been to attack her? A simple talk, the chance to get to know him and to try and figure out just what had been going through his head. Resting her head against the glass, she found herself searching the Paris skyline for the faintest sign of her friend. He would be lying low. Maybe even afraid to come look for her for fear of the consequences. In a city like this, it would make it a nightmare to get the ladybug miraculous back. After all, they had been fighting Hawk Moth for months and still were none-the-wiser as to where he and his miraculous were.

Something out of the corner of her eye caused her to look up suddenly. She couldn't have said what it was. The hairs on the back of her neck and arms were standing on end. It was almost like someone had walked over her grave. Without knowing why, the city seemed to capture the entirety of her attention. She found herself scanning the horizon, looking for something. She didn't know what but it made whatever else was going on around her almost impossible to concentrate on. With dilated pupils and wide eyes, it only took a moment for her friends to twig that something, somewhere had changed. Even as they came over, eager to see just what had captured her attention so abruptly and to such an extent, she paid them little heed. To focused on trying to find whatever it was out there which seemed to be calling to her. Nothing seemed to have changed, it was the same old city made faint and blurry by the condensation forming on the windows from the rain. Yet there was definitely something out there calling to her.

"What is it?" Asked Alya tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I- I don't know…" Marinette struggled to find the words or even to properly identify just what exactly she was feeling. "It's like there's something out there, calling to me. It's almost like… Tikki but something's wrong."

"Concentrate Marinette!" Master Fu stepped forwards in some urgency. "Where is she?"

Closing her eyes, she attempted to do as the man had instructed. As someone who was naturally a little scatterbrained, it wasn't necessarily the most easy task in the world especially when there were a thousand other things going on right now and that had occurred only a few minutes ago to fill her mind with other just as troubling thoughts, a background noise of sorts. As such, it required a fair amount of her will to focus, attempting to block off all of the distractions from around her. In her mind, she tried to focus in on whatever it was which was out there, calling out to her. A part of her was certain that it was Tikki. She didn't know how it was possible and wasn't about to question it any more than that but she felt that she could recognise the strange aura of the kwami which had been her partner for so long now. There were no words attached, simply a feeling, a sense that she would know where the small being and by extension her miraculous was.

It was a mindless action which caused her to raise her hand, acting simply on instinct. With her eyes still closed, she pointed out of the window, designating a spot which she couldn't see but none-the-less knew where it was. Her friends darted over to see just what she was pointing at. Marinette remained frozen like that, a strange and foreboding feeling of dread had begun to come over her without her knowing or being able to identify the cause. In a matter of seconds, Nino's simple statement caused her blood to run cold:

"That's the Agreste's place."

"Adrien!" Her eyes opened in a flash with the realization.

He had tried his best to ignore the bright lights and general mysticism going on behind him in the hopes that he might simply turn around and find himself faced with his mother. This was taking rather a lot longer than Adrien had thought it would. In truth, he had little idea what to expect from making a wish with the power of the miraculouses. Unlike Ladybug, he had never been entirely in the loop. Had things been different, then he might have asked but then she would have suspected something was up and he would never have been able to take her by surprise and steal her earrings. His victory had come at the price of his own ignorance it would seem. Now as he turned around, he found himself faced with some form of "light" which had formed over the course of a few seconds. He saw his ring, alongside Ladybug's earrings floating in the air, suspended by some magic he couldn't comprehend. The wish had been made. Why was it all taking so long?

It was with a certain uneasiness that he dared to edge a little closer to Hawk Moth. The man stood back from whatever was forming in the centre of his lair. His lack of concern was comforting in a way, at least this was all meant to be happening and he hadn't somehow lost control. Standing there, before whatever Gabriel had summoned forth to grant his wish, he felt tiny worse, like a sinner. He bore more than just a handful of the blame for this. A part of him wondered what would happen if some greater cosmic power could sense just what he had done and if he might not have to stand trial for his crime one day. As such, he kept his gaze focused firmly on the floor beneath his feet. Unwilling and feeling unworthy too look anywhere else. Despite everything, his father seemed to take notice of his unease, speaking confidently to him:

"It's almost time. Then, I will have my beloved Emilie will be back."

"Isn't your son down here with you?" The question was one which he knew the answer to but figured Cat Noir would have been likely to ask in this sort of a situation. "I'd have thought he would have wanted to see his mom come back."

"He doesn't want a part of this." Gabriel became somewhat sombre at the mention of his son, no doubt realizing that there would be a lot of repair work needed as far as his boy was concerned. "What about you? Don't you have any loved ones who will be wondering where you are?"

Adrien was quite used to his father flipping questions on their heads and turning them against him or other people. Gabriel wasn't a man who appreciated being in the spotlight as far as anything personal was concerned. A reclusive man, his private life was to remain private at all times. Had he been a member of the press asking the same question, he would doubtlessly have received a cold glare and been told to "keep things pertinent" or something along those lines. If he had been Adrien, his father would have simply ignored the comment altogether. Yet for some strange reason, as Cat Noir, he got the feeling that there was some real care there, genuine concern. Just something about his tone of voice which wasn't as clipped and harsh as he was accustomed to hearing him use with pretty much everyone who surrounded him. Brow furred slightly, he tried to see past the mask to the man behind it and figure out just what was going through his mind. Impossible, his face was made of granite, his expression indecipherable.

A good excuse was required. He could afford to be as inventive as he wanted, it wasn't as if Hawk Moth would know any better. Cat Noir hesitated, he could have told the man to mind his own business. After all, it wasn't his concern. The harsh words lingered on the end of his tongue before abruptly vanishing. It was rare indeed for his father to take such interest and care in another. Could this be a sign that the man he had once known might be about to return? The thought was enough to stop him, causing him to fix whatever it was that had been summoned forth absently for a moment before deciding to answer the man's question. For some reason, he found himself choosing to stick closer to the truth. It was close enough at any rate to be painful:

"I lost my parents a while ago."

He added nothing else, judging it to be enough. The man would be able to work out his own meaning and read through the lines. Cat Noir was mask. The individual who lay underneath needed to remain anonymous, hence the disguise he had insisted upon. Gabriel must have realized that. Adrien settled with fixing the space in front of him absently, loosing himself for a few moments. It seemed as if this strange force was waiting for something. It unsettled him slightly. He couldn't see Plagg, it felt as if the kwami must have been there, somewhere. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck were stuck on end, the feeling of uneasiness only becoming greater with every passing moment, as well as his own malaise. He rubbed his forearm nervously, hoping that this would soon be over.

Something settled on his shoulder. He looked up surprised to find that it belonged to his father. It rested there with little to no pressure, just enough to let him feel that his hand was there. It brought with it a certain comfort, an unspoken understanding. He had lost his wife. Perhaps he could relate to the pain of a boy who had lost his parents, at least in some odd form. For a moment, he contemplated shrugging it off as Cat Noir almost certainly would have done. There was a certain warmth which seemed to originate from the gesture which caused him to hesitate however. Closing his eyes for a moment, he found himself standing next to a familiar grave, feeling at long last the comfort which had been missing from those painful months. He dared to imagine for a moment that it wasn't Hawk Moth and Cat Noir but rather Gabriel and Adrien Agreste. It took a moment for his father to speak, his voice was hushed but none-the-less gentle and caring:

"Perhaps its better then… That my son isn't here to witness this and that you have no family to miss you."

The words struck him as odd. Something was wrong, there was a hidden menace behind the kind tone. Before he could question it, the hand which had been so gently resting on his shoulder tightened itself. Nails dug into him like the talons of an eagle causing him to yelp in pain. Startled, Adrien instinctively tried to free himself. He pulled back. When that failed, he took to reaching out, actively trying to pry the man's grip off. His actions, initially panicked but then somewhat more coordinated, had little effect on the man, barely even registering as more than a fly buzzing around to him. With his miraculous, it was a fair bet that Hawk Moth was the stronger of the two of them, the teen realized. He took to kicking his opponent in the chins. The action earned a couple of winces, informing him that they did indeed hurt. Still, his foe didn't relinquish his hold, if anything he only seemed to latch on harder.

The man started to drag him along. Green eyes spotted out of the corner the approaching mass of light. Panic was quick to take hold as he protested more violently and more vocally adding roars of anger and pain to his repertoire in the vain hope that it would convince his father to stop whatever it was that he was doing. He punched, kicked and even contemplated biting him if it would get the man to relinquish his grasp. All the time, he was getting carried progressively closer to those circles he had drawn on the floor only minutes earlier. Every fibre of his body was screaming in terror, somehow sensing that this was bad for him. There was little doubt in his mind that his life was on the line. In a last ditch effort, he dug his heels into the ground. Instead of pulling, he took to pushing back, managing to stop his father, if only briefly. They locked eyes. He found no mercy nor anger, he didn't know what – if anything - Gabriel Agreste was feeling right now and that terrified him.

His moments distraction cost him dearly as he found himself abruptly thrown backwards. Hawk Moth, spun round, almost lifting him off of his feet as he did so. Then, abruptly the man released him. The momentum from the swing caused to fall backwards, crashing to the ground. His back collided with the ground roughly, dazing him. A groan escaped his lips signalling both his pain and confusion. Everything seemed to have happened so fast. A wave of discomfort passed through his body reminding him that as a civilian, he most definitely wasn't meant to be thrown around like some child's doll. Gathering his wits, he managed to raise his head. The attack seemed to have stopped. His father stood only a few feet away, tall it felt as if he were a towering giant. His expression had changed. It was softer, he felt as if he might have been able to see some regret there. A chill passed down his spine as Adrien managed to get to his knees, still somewhat stunned. His breath hitched, terror slowly beginning to settle in without him understanding why. He lowered his eyes, he had crossed over the lines they had drawn on the floor and now found himself inside one of the circles.

"I'm sorry… Truly I am-" Gabriel's voice caught him off guard causing his head to snap around. "-but you see, the universe must always maintain balance..."

Panic stricken, he found himself unable to respond. His entire body was screaming at him that he was in danger and needed to run. Getting to his feet, he prepared to run. It didn't matter where but he knew that he had to escape. A few steps, that was all that it would require. Gabriel barely even batted an eyelid, maintaining his stiff but otherwise unconcerned posture. His son took a couple of steps forwards. His legs had begun to tremble as he started to move. A sickness seemed to be beginning to take hold, a cold sweat and weakness settled inside of him causing him to slow. He raised his hand to his head, trying to ease the sensation. What began as a slight tremor soon turned into full on shaking from head to foot. Confusion, the likes of which he could only equate to that of being feverish, caused him to take another step, knowing somehow that he just had to escape.

A second later he was on the floor. On his knees more accurately. His legs had buckled underneath his weight, refusing to allow him to move any further. Desperately, he struggled to get to his feet. It felt like his joints had rusted solid. This sickness which had struck him so suddenly was draining his strength at a rate of knots. For attempting to walk only a couple of feet, the teen found himself left in a state he felt that he would have been in had he just ran a marathon. Gasping for breath, he raised his eyes to meet those of Hawk Moth. This was all planned, there could be no doubt about it. He looked down into the circle he found himself in. It along with along with the signs he had helped write down was now glowing brightly. Deep breaths proved to be insufficient to allow him to catch his breath or recover as some foreign force latched onto him, slowly leaching his very being. He could feel it gradually eating away at him and all he could do was kneel there, struggling to do even that under the gaze of his father.

"You are dying so that my wife might live."

One final explanation served as a painful confirmation of what his body was already told him. He wanted to beg, to remove his mask and tell his father who he was. Something stopped him, whether it was whatever was draining him or just the exhaustion which caught in the back of his throat, preventing him from uttering even the slightest syllable. It only came out as a whimper, pathetic to his own ears. Hawk Moth's expression softened ever so slightly as it rested upon him. There was no doubt that there was some regret there, despite everything. The man tried to look away, that much was evident, choosing instead to fix the space ahead of him. He tried to avoid fixing the consequences of his current actions. Periodically however, his eyes would flicker down to the boy on the floor. Finally, in a quiet and hushed voice, intended to soothe no-doubt, he added:

"It will be over soon..."

Adrien closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall onto his side. His vision was growing dark, before him he could only just make out the two miraculouses he had handed over. A painful reminder that this time, there would be no Ladybug to save him.


	3. Redemption

The rain continued to lash down on the group as they dashed across the rooftops. Their progress was slowed by a mixture of the conditions which made it slightly more complicated to maintain their footing, that and they had a passenger with them. With her arms wrapped firmly around Nino's neck, Marinette held on for dear life. She didn't want to be a burden but was only too aware that she was making matters a little more complicated for them. Giving her a piggyback caused Carapace to have to adapt his speed so as to ensure that he didn't lose her half-way along. Otherwise, they would have been practically flying along. Already up ahead, Queen Bee and Rena Rouge's feet were barely even touching the roof tops as they leaped along. It was something of a bumpy roller coaster ride but one which the teenagers of Paris had become somewhat accustomed to since all of this madness with superheroes had started. More than one of them had been whisked away at the last second by a well intentioned hero in order to flee an akuma with a vendetta. The only thing which felt odd was that she wasn't in Cat Noir's arms. It was usually her partner who had her back after all.

The Agreste Mansion was well within sight. It was dark and showed no signs of life. Instinctively, Marinette's eyes searched for the light of Adrien's bedroom. She knew off by heart which of the numerous windows belonged to his private space having spent far too long staring up at them longingly. They too showed no signs of being occupied. That left them with only a few select options: the family had abruptly left (unlikely given Gabriel's notorious reluctance to step foot outside of his home), they were all asleep (which would have been early by anyone's standards) or they were trying to hide something. None of the approaching group wanted it to be the latter but there was no denying that right now, it was looking like potentially the most likely scenario.

They scaled the gates with the greatest of ease, ignoring the security systems. The feeling which had started in Nino's apartment had only grown. Master Fu had chosen to remain there, he would only slow them down he claimed. There was little doubt in her mind that this was where she needed to be. This was the point of origin of her troubles. Although closer, she still couldn't have said what it was. There was a certain sense of foreboding as they stood in front of the large set of doors. This mansion - for all that she cared for one of its occupants – had never been the most welcoming of places, there was always something lifeless and rather unsettling about the place which gave her and many others the creeps for lack of a better word. Just how it's environment could have produced someone like Adrien was beyond most people.

"You're sure about this?" Rena Rouge spoke quietly as they fixed the door.

"Yeah. Mr. Agreste will have our heads..." Nino reminded her looking around nervously. "Even if he isn't Hawk Moth."

"He can't be Hawk Moth…" Marinette muttered quietly under her breath. "We fought him once when he was akumatized."

"So what? You think it's Adrien?!"

She didn't respond to that one. The thought had crossed her mind before, unfortunately on more than one occasion. She liked it about as much as the next person. Almost anyone else in Paris would have been a better candidate but right now she couldn't deny the facts. Tikki was here, she could feel it in every fibre of her body. Cat Noir had brought them here to someone, Hawk Moth as far as any of them could guess. Unlike his father, he couldn't claim to have ever been akumatized and then there were all those times he mysteriously "vanished". She didn't want to face the thought of the boy she had been chasing for so long being anyone other than a kind and caring individual, what she couldn't afford to do however was refuse to look simply because her heart wouldn't admit the truth. She nodded slowly, encouraging them to continue on.

The door was given no quarter, knocked down quickly. A lucky charm, she reasoned could fix the problem at the end of the day if it was required. Besides, it wasn't as if the Agreste's were short of money and couldn't afford to have it replaced.

They entered rapidly, keen to take full advantage of the element of surprise. Marinette followed the three heroes aware that she wouldn't be able to put up half as much of a fight like this. She tread carefully, hesitating with each step. Her eyes flickered round the main hall, searching for something, anything. Inside, all was still and dark. They must have been aware of the intrusion given the lack of delicateness they had demonstrated. So the fact that Adrien's monster of a bodyguard wasn't currently charging in was concerning in its own way. They held their breaths as they entered, taking baby steps. This would be a brilliant spot for an ambush. True, the odds were ever-so-slightly in their favour with three miraculous holders and a hanger on but that was all dependant on whether or not Cat Noir was in league with Hawk Moth and if he had handed over both the cat and ladybug jewels to their enemy. If he had, they would stand little to no chance. They could only hope that wasn't the case.

The light suddenly turned on causing the intruders to leap into the air. They stood, battle ready and weapons drawn, eyes frantically searching for their enemy. They fell upon the figure of a tall and slender woman. She peered at them through her glasses, not even flinching. Her entire demeanour was professional but relaxed. She carefully closed the door behind her before taking a few steps forwards, greeting them as she would any other guests at the house. The damage done to the door didn't even seem to have registered. Her eyes trailed over the group, briefly drifting outside to where the rain continued to lash down:

"The heroes of Paris… To what do we owe the visit?"

"We're um..." Their lack of planning shone through in an instant as Rena Rouge struggled to find a way of phrasing it, looking to her friends for help. "We uh- know that Cat Noir came here!" A lie given that they were going on essentially a hunch.

"Care to be more specific?" Nathalie raised an eyebrow, unmoved. "He's visited a number of times over the past few months."

"Don't play dumb. You know what we mean..."

Despite the fact that she had spoken up, Marinette's voice remained quiet. It was enough however to attract the undivided attention of Nathalie. The woman scowled, her eyes running up and down the bedraggled civilian teen. There was no doubt that she recognized the girl from the few times she had visited the house or events such as the hat competition she had won. The question was just what such a seemingly average girl was doing here in the company of these heroes. There was little doubting from her overall appearance that she had been in some kind of scuffle or trouble. The damage had been treated but remained visible none-the-less. Without her disguise, Ladybug felt on show, vulnerable. There was a part of her which was rather more inclined to stay behind those who did still have their miraculouses and let them deal with the situation. The knowledge that at least a part of this could easily be her fault prevented her from doing so however. Making her stand her ground and look the P.A. in the eye, refusing to back down.

"Of course… He's not here right now-"

"-But you know where he is." Queen Bee cut her short, a knowing look on her face. "You're Nathalie Sancoeur, I wouldn't be surprised if you had Hawk Moth himself on speed dial in case Gabriel wanted to use one of his akumas for a new beret."

The woman paused. The absence of anyone else from the household was rather noticeable. Gabriel and Adrien must have been aware that they had guests. It was hard to conceive of anyone missing the sound of the door being barged down. The sight of a small red light in the upper corner of the room served as a reminder that they needn't leave the comfort of their rooms to see just what was happening. The mansion had a formidable security system which they had been able to see in action on more than one occasion. Marinette turned her attention towards the camera, ensuring that she was looking right down the lens. She might not be able to see just who lay behind it, watching through a screen but she could let them know that she was here. They had come for the miraculouses. They had come for Cat Noir. They had come for Hawk Moth.

Nathalie shifted once more, looking slightly more ill-at-ease. The heroes managed to keep their patience, despite everything. Waiting until the woman decided on her next course of action. It was clear that she was fully aware that the ball was in her court. Send them away, lie or give them what they wanted, her options were comparatively limited and yet could lead to a wide variety of potential results. For all that they were heroes, the group before her maintained enough hostility to dispel any notions of resorting to force. She would realize that if she did chose to call the police, they were unlikely to pick her side. Even if they did, it could potentially only lead to yet more questions, this time from officials with more authority than a mask and some superpowers. Finally, the woman let out a heavy sigh, defeated but perhaps not entirely:

"Look, I can't tell you anything..."

"So you do know something!" Rena Rouge pounced quickly not about to let the woman adopt a position which would allow her to recover.

"I never claimed that I didn't." Replied the secretary maintaining the up-most calm. "I'm not authorized to tell you, Adrien however may be more willing to explain."

"He's here?!" Marinette jumped forwards at the mere prospect.

"He's been confined to his room – by choice" Nathalie was quick to add the last part. "–for a few hours now."

"Well come on then! Let's get this whole thing cleared up!"

Caution was abandoned as they made their way through the mansion. Nathalie was eager to lead the way, walking briskly in front of them, ensuring that they didn't get lost and that no "sight seeing" was done. Marinette had had the occasion to visit her crush's home on more than one occasion, mainly in order to try and protect it and/or its occupants from an akuma attack. As such, she was more than a little familiar with its layout and knew exactly where Adrien's room could be found. The guide wasn't necessary. She suspected that like her, the others would have their suspicions about all of this. For each second they lost dealing with Nathalie and now perhaps even their classmate, it gave Hawk Moth and Cat Noir an extra opportunity to slip away. For the moment however, they had little choice given that this was their only lead. They moved quickly enough at any rate, arriving in front of the large doors.

A large man stood in front of them, preventing any unwanted guests from entering and its sole occupant from leaving. His eyes widened as he set sights on the group of heroes following the secretary. With a snarl, he stepped forwards. Clenched fists indicated a willingness to fight. The giant ape of a man didn't care who stood before him, he had been given orders and intended to carry them out, even if he stood little to no chance of being able to do so in the face of such opponents. A simple raise of a hand from Nathalie was enough to stop him. He hesitated fixing her with incomprehension for a moment before nodding slowly. He took a couple of steps to the side, allowing them to pass. The door was swung open without so much as a knock. No care was taken as to whether or not Adrien wanted visitors or was in a state to receive them. His privacy barely even seemed to constitute a minor concern in his own home it would seem.

The group entered the room briskly, giving little to no warning that they were indeed coming in in such numbers. Marinette half expected to hear wails of protest, the likes of which she would no doubt have given if it had been her room they were invading on mass. They were met with only silence however. The lights were on but the room was remarkably empty. It took a moment for everyone to notice it. Instinctively, their gazes scanned the room, searching for the familiar figure of the teen. He should have been there, alerted by the presence of newcomers. Instead, the room was marked by his absence. The group spread out inside the room but still didn't receive a welcome, warm or otherwise. They began to search its entirety, starting with the obvious places such as the en suite before moving onto the less likely such as his cupboards and under the bed.

"Adrien!"

Nathalie's cry was full of an honest concern, calling out for him to show himself. It dismissed any notions that they might have had that this was some sort of a ruse. Their panic was too real to be fake. The two assistants exchanged worried looks, with Gorilla going so far as to physically overturn the boy's bed in a desperate bid to locate him. The other heroes soon joined in, trying to locate him not out of anger but worry. Marinette alone maintained a certain distance from the group. Instead, she wandered near to his desk, remembering the time that she had stood there as Ladybug waiting for the teen to emerge from his shower. Her eyes rested upon the photos which lay discarded somewhat carelessly atop his desk. She approached slowly. Almost all of them were the same or rather showed the same person: a beautiful woman with long golden hair and stunning green eyes. In many, she was joined by a lad, sometimes he was a child in others, a pre-teen. In a few, even rarer images three people were present. It wasn't the same goofy family photos which lay around the Dupain-Cheng household but there was none-the-less an obvious amount of tender affection, at least between mother and son.

It was with a heavy sigh that she allowed his head to fall down, resting it against the desk. It was so painfully obvious now that she found herself here. The purest of intentions could likely lead to the most terrible of consequences. The others were still desperately searching in the background by the time that Marinette was largely convinced that she knew they wouldn't find the teen at home. She raised her head a moment later to look towards the group, although Nathalie more particularly:

"He just wants his mother back." The comment was enough to draw the secretary's attention. "That's what this is all about, right?"

"Yes." The woman nodded once to confirm the statement. "Adrien contacted Cat Noir for something. It just stemmed from that..."

"-But if they try and bring back Mrs. Agreste..." Rena Rouge stopped her frantic searching as she slowly began to catch on. "Doesn't that mean-"

"None of them realize that the price for that is someone else's life." Marinette filled in for them.

Cat Noir didn't know. Adrien she was willing to bet was unaware as well. Hawk Moth, she wouldn't like to say. There was a part of her, innocent, which liked to believe that no human being would ever chose to take another's life, not for any reason. Unfortunately, she knew better. If nothing else, the recent akuma attacks had proved that their enemy gave little thought to the potential consequences of his actions on the lives of the inhabitants of Paris. The fact that there had been no fatalities remained something of a minor miracle in her eyes. As such, she wouldn't call it impossible for him to be only too willing to sacrifice another if it suited his ultimate goal. Her eyes flicked back towards the photos of her friend. She wasn't about the question just how he had come by Cat Noir's number, it wasn't all that complicated she supposed. Fitting the moth miraculous holder into the equation was somewhat harder but as she stared at the pictures featuring the entire Agreste family, she felt that it became a little clearer.

Nathalie had turned a little paler with the realization. Only Gorilla continued frantically to search for the missing teenager turning over literally every inch of a room which he had never seen the boy leave. The secretary hesitated, for the first time visibly torn. She stood there, still clutching some of her paperwork against her chest as if it served as something of a shield. Her attention also focused on the photos for a moment. Losing herself in them for a few moments. Marinette waited. There was only one person here at the moment who could help them. The question was if they would accept to do so now that they knew what was truly at stake. The woman seemed to sense the girl's attention resting on her, her gaze flickering round to meet that of the teen before she promptly averted her eyes once more.

Disappointment struck Marinette like a knife. Could these people – ordinary people, whom wouldn't get so much as a second glance on the street – really be so unfazed by the prospect of killing another? She opened her mouth, anger beginning to boil over eager to be released. A terrible cry cut her off. It was one of a mixture of pain and desperation which seemed to echo around the entire building, coming from somewhere above them. It was enough to turn her blood cold as to her horror, she found herself recognizing the voice:

"Cat Noir!"

She called out, somehow hoping that he might hear her or that she would otherwise be able to summon him. Silence was the only answer she received. They waited, looking around the room as if they half expected to find their friend. The lights flickered abruptly, turning on and off over the course of a few seconds. A chill had descended on the house, seeping down from the ceiling and causing those present to shiver. There was something which could best be described as an electric current which seemed to be passing through the building. The hair on the back of their necks and arms was sticking on end. Something wasn't right. The feeling was present in all of their bones. A deep sense of foreboding gave a clear message that tonight, something unnatural had taken hold of the Agreste household.

Marinette was pretty close to climbing the walls in an attempt to tear down the ceiling in an attempt to locate her friend. She'd never heard him make a sound quite like like that one before. It was enough to prompt her to abandon all caution. Anger taking hold driven by the injustice of what she felt was about to happen and now she feared might have already occurred, she found herself no longer simply irritated by Gabriel's assistant's somewhat disconnected attitude but instead found herself to be infuriated by it. Fists clenched, she prepared to enter into action, unsure just what exactly that would entail. As luck would have it, she found herself being beaten to the punch by Queen Bee of all people. The blonde girl was over in a flash, her hands wrapping themselves around the woman's collar. She raised her up as much as possible, forcing Nathalie to stand on her tiptoes. Gorilla let out a disapproving growl, taking a step forwards ready to intervene. A single raised hand was enough to stop him. The secretary shook her head, signalling him to stand down before turning back so as to peer down at her attacker, uneasy but still maintaining silence.

"No more fun and games, where are they?!"

"In Hawk Moth's lair but you won't stand a chance against him!" Despite everything, she maintained her calm and cold exterior.

"So how do we get there?!" Carapace was quick to join in hoping to finally get some clear answers. "Put me down and I'll show you."

Chloe, somewhat begrudgingly, agreed. Her fingers loosened around the fabric of the woman's clothes. She was quick to put some distance between herself and the bee themed hero. No attempt to flee was made however. She straightened herself out, ensuring that her collar wasn't somehow creased or out of order before abruptly turning around. She walked briskly not even bothering to check if they were following or not. The group were quick to speed up, ensuring that they didn't allow the woman to slip away from them. Her shoes clicked loudly as they rushed through the corridors. Whilst it might not be an actual run, there was a clear amount of panic there which was enough to allow Marinette to realize that Gabriel's secretary's change of heart had very little to do with the threats of a 14 year old (even one with powers).

They followed the woman into the same room that she had initially emerged from when they had arrived. It appeared no different to many of the other grandiose and luxurious parts of the mansion. Glancing around, Marinette tried to guess just what the purpose of this place was. It looked like an office of some guide. Gabriel Agreste's no doubt. Everything was neat and in order, if there had been some kind of a fight or a struggle between Hawk Moth and Cat Noir which had prompted the latter to scream the way he had, this was not where it had taken place. Their attention was quickly grabbed by the portrait which Nathalie was approaching, it took pride of place in the room, dominating it literally. Mrs. Agreste… She truly was beautiful and from where she stood, she was impossible to ignore, maintaining a real and powerful presence in the room. In some ways, it was daunting.

"Stand there!" Their guide gestured at a space on the floor. "Two of you at a time, otherwise you'll get stuck."

"Uh… What is this?" Rena Rouge eyed the spot on the floor somewhat dubiously.

"An elevator. It will take you to Hawk Moth. Now come on!"

It was Carapace and Queen Bee who cautiously stepped forwards, exchanging an uncertain look as they did so. Under other circumstances they might have proceeded after checking everything out in some more detail so as to ensure that they weren't in for any unpleasant surprises. In the current circumstances however they had no choice. Back to back, they waited patiently. Nathalie approached the portrait of Mrs. Agreste, pausing a moment in front of it before applying pressure to several points of the work. Under there feet, something moved. A split second later, Nino and Chloe were descending into the ground. It was well hidden, nobody would ever have guessed such a passage could be found here. It sealed itself over only a few seconds later leaving no trace of it whatsoever. With two of her friends who had already disappeared into the abyss, Marinette found herself with only Rena Rouge for company. It left them waiting patiently so that the elevator could drop off the heroes and then return for a second run. The awkwardness of the situation made it almost impossible to envisage a conversation. The rain outside drowned everything else out.

Marinette closed her eyes. Waiting didn't suit her. The nerves were bad enough. It required a fair amount of self-control for her not to start pacing up and down, instinctively imagining the worst possible scenarios. Fear kept her rooted to the spot. Whilst a part of her found the silence easier to bear than her friend's cries, at least they were proof that he was still alive. Her ears listened attentively, searching for the faintest sound that could potentially clue them in to what was going on. The same old silence reigned, with only the rain hitting the windows to challenge it. Deep breaths served to calm herself just enough to prevent full on panic from setting in. She simply wished that she had her miraculous with her in hand both for Tikki's words of wisdom and the feeling that there was actually something that she could do.

"It's back." Nathalie announced, adding little else as she presumed they wouldn't need to be told twice what they had to do.

"What about Adrien?" Marinette couldn't help but wonder about the blonde haired green eyed boy.

"This isn't exactly the first time he's run off." Nathalie responded turning her back to them so as to face the painting once more. "For the life of me, I don't know how he does it but he usually comes back of his own accord."

"Looks like he's going to miss most of the action then..." Rena Rouge commented keeping her voice quiet. "No bad thing..."

"Maybe..." Her friend muttered quietly under her breath.

"If he does return I'll ensure he stays out of harm's way. In the meantime, watch out for the missiles."

A second later they were plunged into darkness as the elevator descended. Instinctively, Marinette found herself backing up. There was no doubt that this thing had been designed for one person at a time. If they were a little older and therefore larger, it was unlikely that two of them would have fit quite as well. As it was, the teen fancied that if she did so much as to lean forwards another inch her nose would be brushing against the exterior of the shaft. It was something of a dizzying experience. Up, down, left or right became abstract as she struggled to keep track of just where they were heading. It wasn't as if it mattered all that much given that their vision was largely nil. Her heart continued to thunder in her chest as she sensed that they would be arriving soon. Next to her, Alya shifted somewhat nervously, the cause of her concern she soon made clear:

"Did she say "watch out for the missiles"?"

A shrug was the sole answer that she could muster. That last comment of the secretary had been a somewhat troublesome one. They could only hope that it had been some manner of an exaggeration or a joke. Not that the woman had come across as being anything other than professional, especially given the nature of the current situation…

There was a hiss of hydraulics from above them as the doors opened, finally casting some light. The sound of furious yelling and what could best be described as explosions became audible. It was a few seconds worth of warning. They could expect a fight. It wasn't entirely unexpected. After everything that they had been through with Hawk Moth, the chances of him readily giving up and handing over the miraculouses were few. Marinette readied herself as best as possible, adopting a fighting stance she ordinarily used as Ladybug. Behind her, Rena Rouge did the same, drawing her flute. Crouched slightly and with her hands balled into fists, she tried her best to ensure that she could move quickly and efficiently as soon as they emerged into the room above them. In those few moments as they continued to rise, she found herself feeling truly vulnerable without her earrings. What she wouldn't have given for their protection and the power that they offered her.

They were plunged into the battlefield a mere heartbeat later.

Dazed, like a deer staring into the headlights, she could only stare. There was Hawk Moth, in the flesh. Their enemy was armed. In his right hand, he held a thin sword which had been drawn from his cane. He used it to batter against Carapace's shield. Nino desperately attempted to block the attacks, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge of the blade as he was pushed backwards. Hoping for assistance from Queen Bee was pointless as she was far more occupied ensuring that none of the missiles made contact with anyone else in the room. It was as if the entire lair had come alive. It attacked the intruders without remorse. Strangely, as she stood there, Marinette found herself wondering just how much time, effort and money their enemy had put into this place. Surely, a builder somewhere, at some point must have asked a question or two…

Her attention became drawn suddenly by a strange mass in the corner of the room. To her, it looked like some sort of mixture between light and smoke, although try as she might to fix it, her eyes struggled to make anything of it. The lines on the floor were far clearer, neatly drawn and glowing with an unearthly light. There was something unnatural about the whole thing. It caused her to shudder. Something told her to turn her head. The teen struggled with the urge to shrink away and hide in a corner. It was the purest of instincts which drove her, screamed at her that her life was in danger and that she should run and/or hide. It was like a small portion of the universe had been torn open in this small space in Paris. Ironically, she found herself powerless but to stare, becoming gradually more absorbed by the phenomena. Her thoughts ground to a halt. Everything around her just fazed out so that it no longer mattered.

She was brought back into the real world in a flash. Alya tackled her to the ground, sending them both rolling away from the elevator. She felt the shockwave from the explosion mere seconds later as a missile struck the spot where they had been standing. Gasping from a mixture of shock and the violence of the attack, she struggled to get to get feet in time to run from yet another blast. It was Rena Rouge who pulled her to her feet this time and forced her to run. It was quite quickly that the realization that there was nowhere up here for them to possibly seek shelter hit them. The room was essentially a large empty space, evidently a refuge from the security system hadn't featured as a part of the designs.

Dazed, she hit the floor following yet another blast. The room seemed to be spinning. She shook her head, trying to bring herself back to her senses. It was only as her vision was refocusing that her eyes fell upon the figure of a young man. He was lying down with his back to them. Even from the distance they were currently at, she could tell that something was very wrong. He was shaking from head to foot, trembling as if he had been struck down by some kind of fever. Despite that, he made no attempt to shield himself from any of the chaos surrounding him. She could make out a mop of familiar golden blonde hair. Staring in horror, it took a moment for her to notice just where he was resting. The presence of one of the mystic circle things directly beneath him could have been a coincidence, she supposed however given the circumstances she found it to be a rather unlikely scenario. Alya rested a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention abruptly. Rena Rouge's attention wasn't so much on her as the surrounding struggle, ensuring that they were safe for a few moments, long enough to come up with a strategy at any rate:

"You get him! I'll help the others!"

She nodded once, no time for any other form of reply. She rushed out, trusting in the others to protect her. She didn't look, fearing that it would cause her to come to a stop if she even did so much as to pause so as to take note of the danger that she was currently in. Heart racing, her vision narrowed so that she only had eyes on her target. She wasn't even too sure if she breathed as she covered the relatively short distance separating them. It felt like a leap of faith, a desperate struggle to make it without being killed. As a result, the teen practically threw herself down next to him, her knees grazing across the floor as she went. The action was painful, causing her to wince briefly. The severity of the current situation was enough to prevent her on dwelling on her own discomfort and to focus solely on the task at hand.

She straightened herself as she turned to look at the injured young man. At least that was her initial diagnosis. The way he was shaking quickly called it into question however. The shivers were almost unnatural in their violence. It was obvious that at least part of the reason they were afflicting him was because of the cold. He lay curled up in a little ball, his arms folded across his chest in an attempt to keep himself just a little bit warmer. For all that, his body continued to tremble. Now that Marinette was closer, the sound of chattering teeth and the occasional weak but pained whimper became audible. His eyes were screwed shut, attempting to block out the world around him. It made it difficult to tell for sure if he was indeed still conscious. His concerning state caused the teenager to hesitate, unsure just what to do. Whilst instinct told her to try and carry him out of there and to safety, she was nervous about doing so for fear of unintentionally injuring him further. Hesitating, she decided to simply check if he was still in a state to respond. She reached out cautiously. Every fibre in her body was busy reminding her that this wasn't somewhere she wanted to be at the moment. Her fingers hovered less than an inch above his shoulder. Even touching him felt like something which she shouldn't have been doing, as if simply brushing her skin against his would cause her to go up in a plume of smoke.

Taking a deep breath, she summoned her courage before reaching out. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder, simply checking for a response. He was frozen in every sense of the word. The few bits of skin she was touching were ice cold. His muscles were tense to an extent that must have been painful. It took a moment for him to grimace. Very slowly, eyelids creaked open, the stiffness made her think of rusted metal which was close to locking in place. He was disorientated, that much was clear by the way that his green orbs drifted listlessly round the room, out of focus and closing periodically as she struggled to remain awake. It took a few seconds for them to finally rest on her. Even then, there was a haze to them which spoke of a lack of awareness of his surroundings. He groaned, blinking a few times. Marinette hesitated. She could recognize those green eyes. They were duller, less aware and a little more human than she was accustomed to but there could be little doubt as to who their owner was.

"Cat Noir?" It was almost a whisper but all that she could manage.

"Marin- Lady..." He closed his eyes taking a few more deep breaths.

It was him. A quick glance down to his hand confirmed that he didn't have his miraculous. He was like her, little more than a human. Weak, his eyes fluttered once more but he managed to pull enough of his wits together to remain conscious. Marinette's eyes travelled over her friend. Anxious, she searched for any sign of injury which could potentially account for his current state. To her surprise, she found that he was largely unscathed. There were no obvious wounds which could have caused him to suffer as much as he obviously was right now. Even as she knelt down besides him, he continued to shiver, an act which was beyond his control. The teen found herself increasingly concerned by what was going on. The battle still raging on proved to be rather difficult to ignore. Summoning her courage, she forced herself to concentrate only on the matter at hand. Thinking logically was an essential part of finding a solution to the problem at hand. The first step was figuring out just what the problem was…

Given their surroundings, she was willing to bet that the illness which had struck down her usually resilient friend was something to do with whatever was going on here. She was going to have to assume that their initial fears had been founded. Hawk Moth had made his wish. Cat Noir was paying the price.

"Silly kitty…" The words were spoken gently with true affection and concern which she didn't attempt to mask. "What have you done?"

He averted his gaze from her. Despite everything, the shame he felt was obvious. It was proof enough for her that although he had played a part in this, it wasn't a malicious one. Forgiveness might take some time but it would come eventually. His shivering was dying down gradually. His motions became less uncontrolled and his limbs heavier. Glancing around, she searched for a solution. Had she had her powers, it would have been cause for a "Lucky Charm" without fail. Lacking them, she didn't know what to do. Was there any way to break the spell which bound the universe to rebalance itself once a wish was made? Her eyes frantically searched for a solution, even it was just one to buy them some more time it would be worth while.

Behind her, there was a yell as Carapace was sent flying into Queen Bee. For all that Hawk Moth appeared to be a rather thin man, he did pack quite the punch it would seem. One blow from the back of his hand was enough to stun the young hero. They picked themselves up quickly. Gathering their wits just in time to be able to dive away from an incoming missile, landing only just out of its range. Their enemy's head snapped around, his eyes came to rest on Marinette and the still suffering Cat Noir. His rage was obvious immediately. He took a couple of steps towards them, walking briskly. She felt herself shrink away, realizing that as it was she had no way of defending herself. She knew only too well from her own experience that for the most part, individuals without miraculouses couldn't stand up to those who had them. If nothing else, she found herself lacking a sword or anything to counter his weapon. There was a loud battle cry. Their foe's attention snapped round. He raised his blade in a split second, countering the intended blow from Rena Rouge.

Marinette forced herself to turn away, every second she spent distracted was another that they lost. Her attention locked on to two small pieces of jewellery floating, suspended somehow only a few feet away. The miraculouses were there, not just her earrings but also Cat Noir's ring. If she could get them, then maybe she could end this or at the very least help her friends. The lines drawn on the floor remained present in her mind. Although they were a mystery to her, her bones were telling her not to cross them. Her ally was on the other side and his condition was worrying to say the least. She might get away with a limb but she most definitely didn't want to risk setting foot on the other side. She stretched out her arm whilst the other remained on the ground, carefully positioned her side of the lines. Reaching out, she strained her muscles. Her fingers encountered little else but thin air. She winced straining as much as physically possible, until she was struggling to maintain her balance and not to topple forwards. The blonde haired boy watched her attempt painfully but otherwise didn't react. After a few seconds, she was forced to admit defeat. She was only an inch or so short. For a moment, she considered trying her luck and seeing what would happen if she dared take one step too many. She thought better of it however. For the time being, Cat Noir was more important:

"Hold on!" She instructed summoning her strength. "I'm getting you out of here!"

She slipped her arms underneath his, planning to drag him. She could already tell that she was going to be unlikely to be able to carry him as she would have if she were Ladybug. For the time being, her plan was a simple one: get Cat Noir out of here. If she could get him back over to the elevator then she might be able to send him back to Nathalie who would hopefully be better suited to looking after him. He was heavy in her arms. His feet moved, dragging on the floor as he tried to help her. It was clear that his legs were unlikely to bear his own weight but that didn't prevent him from trying to push himself along, making things easier for her in the process. She could feel the limpness in his body, as if all of his strength had been drained. It was a strain on her back but the desperation of the situation caused adrenaline to course through her veins giving her extra strength and the willingness to fight through the pain.

"Get away from him!"

An angry cry caused the teen to turn. She discovered Rena Rouge on the floor. Curled up in a ball, she was obviously in some pain. A quick glance confirmed that the fox themed hero was stunned but thankfully not any more injured than that. Hawk Moth however found himself suddenly without an opponent and Marinette without anyone to protect her. Panic stricken, her eyes darted around looking for something, anything to use as a shield. Her instincts told her to run for cover. The body in her arms prevented her from doing so not by its weight – she could have discarded it had she wanted – but by the affection and loyalty which she was bound to it. There was no doubt that if she chose to abandon him, he would be a sitting duck. Perhaps that's what their enemy intended, simply to frighten her away. They were both aware that like this, she wasn't much of a challenger for him. If he chose to, he could quite easily kill her.

The decision was a quick and easy one to make. She placed her friend back down, easing him to the ground as if he were made out of glass. He let out a weak groan but otherwise didn't react. Summoning her course, Marinette turned to face Hawk Moth. The man continued to advance with no sign of remorse or compassion. She spread her arms, presenting herself as a clear barrier between him and Cat Noir. She would be a paper thin one but none-the-less one which represented someone willing to fight to the bitter end to protect her friend. Their enemy didn't slow or even react. He came right over to her, stopping mere inches in front. He towered over the teen, casting a long and imposing shadow as he did so. Cold eyes glared down at her, at Marinette not Ladybug.

"The hat designer? How pathetic…" A raised hand held a sword menacingly. "Get out of the way!"

"He's sick..." She spoke softly, risking another brief glance to Cat Noir. "You made the wish, right?"

"Yes and he is the one paying the price." The man's eyes narrowed considerably as he raised his voice. "I won't ask again!"

"Please… Adrien wouldn't want this. I don't think your wife wo-"

She cut herself short. She managed to throw herself backwards just in the knick of time to protect her throat from the tip of the man's blade. She couldn't help but let out a shriek of surprise none-the-less. A sharp pain had begun to radiate from her right shoulder. Instinctively, she grasped at the point with her left hand, desperately trying to ease the burning sensation which had erupted. Her eyes remain locked on Hawk Moth, his blade was still raised but he hesitated to deal yet another blow. Already, some blood began to pour from the injury. It was a relatively long cut, a few inches to be certain but thankfully, not all that deep. A warning: stand aside or else. She grit her teeth, fear and her own self-preservation instinct demanding that she run but morality and the knowledge that her friend would die if she did nothing ordering her to remain put. Summoning what remained of her courage, she looked up into the man's eyes. Sending as clear a message as she could, letting him know that she wasn't moving.

 _He'll kill her…_ It was a painful realization. _He'll kill all of them…_

It was almost completely dark now. The world had taken on a decidedly faint and blurry aspect which made it almost impossible to make anything out. Even the noises were distorted by a sensation similar to being under water. A part of him felt as if he were drowning and demanded that he removed his mask so that he might be able to breathe. It was made irrelevant however by the tiredness which had overcome him, making keeping his eyes open feel like an impossible challenge. All he wanted to do was to sleep. If he just closed his eyes and rested then everything would be better. Taking deep breaths, he forced himself to remain conscious. It seemed as if the oxygen his lungs were supplying was never quite enough. His attention wondered over to the floating jewels not all that far away.

It was with a groan and the last of his strength that Cat Noir turned himself over so that he rested on his stomach. His movements were small, scarcely noticed by Hawk Moth overcome by rage at being disturbed so close to his moment of salvation or Marinette, no doubt fearing for her own life in those few moments. He was dying. He knew that much. With what little he had left to give, he crawled less than half a yard. His right arm seemed to have given up almost entirely, his remaining one was forced to do most of the work. Reaching out proved to be as much of a challenge. He was taller than his friend, that gave him the advantage of longer limbs. Just enough to enable him to pluck the ring from its invisible support. His arm fell heavily. Pulling it back to the rest of his body proved to be a challenge in itself. Trembling fingers made it complicated to slip the ring on, causing him to have to restart a couple of times. Finally, his miraculous was returned to the spot he was accustomed to seeing it.

A familiar, strange cat-like creature materialized a moment later. Its green eyes rested pitifully on him for a few seconds. Doubtlessly, he could piece together what had happened and realize the price that was about to be paid.

"Plagg…" His voice was raspy, he couldn't manage anything more than a whisper. "Claws-"

"No way kid!" The kwami cut him short, speaking softly in turn to avoid drawing attention. "You're way too weak to-"

"Please..." He close his eyes, gasping desperately for air. "Let me put it right..."

A green flash of light illuminated the room for the briefest of seconds.

Everything seemed to stop dead. In the case of Marinette, she noticed that Hawk Moth, who had been practically unblinking was no longer paying attention to her. His eyes rested on a figure behind her. She turned her head slowly. Cat Noir wasn't standing, his strength was spent, for the most part at least. Gasping for air, he propped himself up to the best of his ability. Green orbs rested on them, pained and full of regret. He was met only with stares from the rest of those gathered in the room. Time seemed to stand still. His friend and partner knew in those few seconds full-well what was about to occur. She felt that she could see everything to come with a certain amount of clarity, able to sense every motion before it happened. Yet for all that, she was powerless to do anything, incapable even of protesting at what she knew he was about to do:

"Cat-a-clysm..."

It wasn't his usual battlecry, more of a desperate attempt to get the syllables out. A familiar and somewhat sinister dark glow formed around his hand. Hawk Moth's screams of anger and rage, realizing what was about to happen threatened to deafen her. She was shoved roughly to the side, crashing to the floor. Stunned, she landed roughly on her side. The impact was somewhat rougher than she had perhaps anticipated causing her to need to take a few deep breaths in order to recover. Her already aching ribs didn't particularly care for being thrown around much more than she already was. Letting out a groan, she struggled to come to terms with what had just happened. Then it came back to her in a split second.

She raised her head, locking eyes with her friend as she looked up. It was only then that she spotted the darkness and decay beginning to spread. His hand had touched the floor, causing the inevitable destruction to spread like a plague in the form of a dark shadow throughout the room. It started on the ground but was quick to begin to affect the walls as well. Its effect was already being felt as the structure began to tremble, its skeleton creaked and groaned as the rot began to settle in. Marinette was unable to tear her attention off of Cat Noir. He was panting, gasping desperately for enough breath. A single word hung on the edge of his tongue, it took him a moment to choke it out to the best of ability. He filled his lungs in order to let out:

"Run..."

Shaking, she got to her feet. The terror she felt was tangible. Cat Noir's Cataclysm was known about and feared throughout Paris. Ladybug had witnessed its destructive power more times than she cared to count. She knew that the building was done for, at least this particular part of it. Anything that had turned dark with the devastation would be nothing more than a pile of dust as soon as the attack was finished. Cat Noir couldn't move. He was too weak. That realization hit her in a matter of moments. He couldn't escape, not without help at least. Instinctively, she rushed forwards. She would have to drag him out of here. The floorboards creaked and groaned, already weak from the fighting and now the destructive magic. Her second step caused her foot to fall clean through. No doubt the rest of her body would have followed were it not for Queen Bee's quick reflexes. A surprisingly strong grip pulled the teen back away from the collapsing building. They were joined by Carapace and Rena Rouge a split second later.

"We've got to run!" Nino pushed them all back as yet more of the floor crumbled. "This whole place is going to come down!"

"But Cat-" She began looking desperately at her friend.

She turned back to the cat themed hero. He lay there, still somehow managing to prop himself up on the hand which was still allowing the destruction to spread. His eyes rested on her, unblinking. It somehow generated the illusion that he was far closer than he was. Without quite realizing it, she reached out her hand, offering it to him so that she might be able to pull him up and take him with her. Time seemed to stand still for an instant, just long enough enough for her to see the pain and regret which were clear behind those emerald orbs of his. Cat Noir looked away. The spell was broken. The ceiling began to fall, large pieces of stone and slate fell, piling up and causing the floor to give way. A second later, he was gone alongside Hawk Moth either buried or dragged down into the depths of the building. A scream caught in her throat, refusing to come as every muscle and bone in her body froze solid. Her heart stopped. Everything seemed to become irrelevant as her mind struggled to process the sudden absence.

Marinette felt herself get tugged backwards. The building continued to tremble, dust fell from the ceiling as large cracks began to form.. They crashed to the ground loudly dragging ever more the building with them. The teens only just had enough time to stagger backwards as a large part of the floor collapsed creating an ever greater chasm. Tears threatened to come as blue eyes frantically searched for any sign of her friend. She called for him at the top of her lungs. With every unanswered cry, she gave another, louder. Her throat aching throat barely even seemed to register. Neither did the hands which had gripped her, pulling her backwards, away from the destruction. The voices of her friends were like a white noise.

Even as they erupted into the open air, she didn't look away from the building. Desperately searching for the faintest trace of her friend. He couldn't be gone… He simply could be...


	4. Forgiveness

**_Author's note: Thanks again for the reviews and sorry for the slight delay!_**

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Something had happened at the Agreste's mansion. The news was just beginning to spread around Paris and was rather confused as a result. The news crews would be on the way soon. They scurried across the city, readying themselves and trying to get as much information beforehand as they could. An akuma attack was naturally the hypothesis which was being investigated. Given how many the French capital was suffering at the moment, many believed it to be likely. As such, the few police officers in the area who were available were setting up a perimeter, ensuring that all civilians in the nearby area were evacuated. Ladybug and Cat Noir would be here any time soon. They'd get to the bottom of matters. They always did after all. As such, some crowds of parisiens, braving the weather had gathered at the gates, hoping to get some glimpse of what was going on. There had been some assurances from Gabriel's assistant that everything was okay and there was no reason to be concerned. She'd even threatened to inform the authorities if any of those outside tried to breach the perimeter security.

Less than a minute ago, a third of the building had collapsed.

It was atop of what remained of the roof that Marinette found herself perched. She had been positioned there by her friends. It was a safe spot from which she couldn't possibly slip from or fall. One which offered a bird's eye view over the part of the mansion which had collapsed. There she sat. With one hand she rested on the edge of what remained of the timbers of the roof. Her other arm was wrapped around Rena Rouge, using the hero for support and some added safety least some more of the structure suddenly collapse. The rain continue to hammer down mercilessly on them, making the rooftop a slippery place to be. It thundered down on them, drowning out even the noise of the sirens which continued to blare in the distance, announcing the approach of the authorities.

The fact that she was back outside in the wet didn't even register with the teenage girl. To Marinette, it felt as if she had left the world and was somehow living in a different plane of reality. She was drenched to the bone by now. She remained unblinking, looking down at what remained of the building. A moment ago, it had crumbled and given way like a sandcastle. The rumbling had been deafening. The dust had made it difficult to breathe at points, forcing them to retreat as ever more of the construction had given way. The ground had shaken, wood and stone crumbled as if they were dry twigs. It had seemed like the whole place was going to become nothing more than a pile of rubble. They had run as fast as their legs would carry them, desperately trying to put some distance between themselves and where the devastation was originating from. For a few moments, they had been sure that they were going to fall and be buried along with the rest of the mansion. A pair of blue eyes however had only ever fixed the point where they had come from, unable to do even so much as blink.

Now, everything lay still.

The group had dared to travel closer to the edge so as to be able to peer over. They remained alert least the structure begin to give way again but for the time being everything remained stable. The destruction from Cat Noir's Cataclysm had been enough to bring down a sizeable portion of the building but not enough to destroy the entire thing. Perhaps he had never intended to. His actions had caused Hawk Moth to disappear. Given how calm things had begun, they dared to hope that whatever he had started had been prevented. All that lay beneath them was rubble, pieces of stone and plaster protruded from the ground. In some places, what remained of ornaments and décor were still visible. Many had been shattered and now stuck out of the ground as if they were fragments of some ancient civilisation unearthed by archaeologists three millennia later. The rain had dampened down the dust, making it rather easy to make out everything in its own sinister light.

They searched desperately for movement. Even Hawkmoth emerging from the debris would have been somewhat welcome as it would have proved that it was possible to survive what they had just witnessed. Their eyes were faced instead with a no-man's-land devoid of any trace of life. It seemed as if the apocalypse had just struck, burying all those unfortunate enough to be caught up in its merciless destruction. There was no trace of either of the miraculous holders who had seemingly disappeared into the depths when the building had come down. Whilst it wasn't impossible that both parties had somehow managed to escape, pulling some last second trick out of their respective hats, with every passing moment, it was looking increasingly less likely.

Finally, something shifted down in the what remained of the house. It was a door, creaking open on what was left of its hinges. The metal groaned once before the entire thing simply gave way, falling down and adding itself to the piles of rubble. Through it stepped the figures of Gabriel's two helpers. Nathalie wobbled slightly, her shoes unsuited for such terrain. It barely even seemed to register with the woman who continued unfazed. Behind her, Gorilla followed. Both looked to be somewhat shaken but were in good enough condition for it to be assumed that they had found some way of sheltering themselves from the worst of the destruction. They seemed lost in the devastation that they found. A drift, they stumbled through the wreckage, trying to make sense of it. It was clear that both were searching for something, someone however. Their employer was missing, making a last minute escape seem all the more unlikely. They began to shift through the debris, moving what they could and calling out.

"We need to go help them!"

Marinette's statement was enough to prompt her friends into action. They shook themselves out of their stupor. Rena Rouge was something of a comforting presence. On another day, she felt as if she might have been paralysed by what had happened. In truth, she was almost completely sure that alone, she wouldn't have made it out. Cat Noir would have died in all likelihood before she had been able to reach him (if she ever had). Any doubts which might have existed about whether it had been a mistake to bring her friends in on her secret identity were erased as she slipped her arms around Nino's shoulders so as to receive a piggy back and be guided down the side of the building. Blue eyes remained firmly fixed on the ground however as she noticed that both adults were concentrating their efforts on one point now. Whilst their movements were more coordinated, they were also somewhat more noticeably desperate. It was clear that they were worried. They were still too far away to make out much of it but they appeared to be talking, not to one another but rather to something or rather someone down in the rubble.

That meant that there was a survivor.

The group sped up, their progress made faster by the knowledge that there was now someone to save. They didn't question who or how. The fact that a life was potentially on the line overrode any other instincts or reservations that they might have had. They climbed down from the roof quickly. Their feet had barely even touched the ground before they found themselves running once more. Anxiety filled the pit of Marinette's stomach as she silently thanked Carapace for the assistance and made her own way. From where she was currently standing, she couldn't see just who had been found. The digging seemed to have lost its urgency with Gorilla discarding one last timber by tossing it to the side. A strange calm settled in as Nathalie kneeled cautiously next to whoever they had uncovered.

As the teens rushed over, they met no opposition but were given a cold glare by the woman. It was an accusation. All the same, the group rushed over. In her heart, she already knew who they would find. Marinette dared to hold on to a hope. She imagined that it was Cat Noir whom they would find there, shaken but otherwise alive. That notion was shattered in an instant when she saw the man's figure. Hawk Moth was clearly only just conscious, dazed and almost certainly out for the count. He groaned in pain. Lying there, he no longer looked like the figure of their nightmares but resembled just any other human being suffering. The group of heroes stood there, uncertain. Their enemy was vulnerable, there was no denying it. As Ladybug, she had often longed for the opportunity to see their enemy brought to his knees. This however felt somewhat less satisfying than she had imagined it would. There was no urge to celebrate and not even a feeling of victory as they lay eyes on their fallen foe. His gaze rested on them still angered but now too weak to do anything about it. In other circumstances, she imagined he would have been screaming at them for preventing his plans as opposed to simply lying there.

Slowly, the group of teens exchanged looks. Each of them knew what needed to be done. They had to ensure that they ended this once and for all. There was little sense in leaving Hawk Moth so that he could recover and try and carry out his plans further along the line. Despite this massive failure, they were all acutely aware of just how stubborn the man could be. He might not hesitate to start again with his quest for the ladybug and cat miraculouses. They couldn't afford to leave him with the ability to do that… It was Marinette who finally took the first few steps forwards, summoning what remained of her courage. She found her legs to be somewhat shaky as she made her way over to the fallen villain. They served their purpose however of carrying her. Somewhere, there was a voice which spoke of caution. Although he might be injured, it was far from impossible that their foe would fight her tooth and nail if he realized her intentions which she made no attempt to mask. His two assistants watched her but perhaps surprisingly made no attempt to intervene, allowing her to approach unhindered. She slowed somewhat as she was by her side. Her eyes flickered over the man, searching for something. She found it in the form of a small brooch. Reaching out hesitantly, she gripped the piece of jewellery. The man's eyes fell upon her, there was some clarity there. He was a fraction too slow however as she quickly pulled it away, removing the miraculous. She backed off rapidly.

In an instant, the man's disguise began to fade. His suit vanished in a matter of seconds, replaced by another. Hawk Moth disappeared, leaving room for a man whom she had met more than once. His glare was a cold one. His muscles tensed up as he attempted to sit up. His intention was obvious, his eyes fixed solely on what had just been taken from him. Their enemy let out a loud gasp, bringing his hand to the left side of his ribs. Nathalie put a hand on his shoulder, urging him to take it easy and reminding him just what he had lived through. His anger was clear but it would seem that for the moment at least pain was enough to prevent him from reacting. Marinette was quick to retreat back to her friends. Still powered-up, they would act as quite the deterrent should Gabriel or one of his allies suddenly decide to try and reclaim the moth miraculous. The shock was clear on the other's faces. None of them were about to question how it was possible. His motivations were relatively obvious. He was a clever man, he would have worked out how to fool them on more than one occasion and make himself appear to be an unlikely culprit for the crimes. Right now, it all seemed to be rather unimportant. Even the small kwami floating near her hand barely even registered as it spoke to her:

"Thank you..."

Her attention was focused both elsewhere and nowhere. Blue eyes scanned the rubble. It looked somehow different and identical from this angle. Everything was more vertical and jagged than it had appeared to be from above, stones and timber stood erect like tombstones in the rain. Their scale was dwarfing. The fact that Gorilla and Nathalie had been able to dig out Hawk Moth seemed to be something of a miracle in itself. There was a sense of desperation as much as despair as Marinette contemplated the desolation she was faced with. There wasn't the faintest sign of her friend. Had he somehow escaped, she was confident that he would have made his presence known by now. Striding in in his usual cocky manner with an arrogant grin, teasing them for worrying about him. His absence seemed to enforce her worst fears that he had been buried when the building had collapsed. For all any of them knew, he could be under their feet…

She took a few more steps forwards so as to be standing out in the centre of the destruction. Spinning around, the teen struggled to take it all in. Somehow, this amount of devastation proved to be difficult to process. The logical part of her said that it wasn't so much the damage done to the mansion which shocked her – after all, she knew that Cat Noir could have probably destroyed the Eiffel Tower with his Cataclysm if he had put his mind to it – as the notion that her partner and friend whom she had spent so many late Paris nights fighting crime with, could easily be gone… Buried under the building which he had brought down in an effort to save them and repair the damage that had been done, there was no Ladybug to rescue him this time, only Marinette and she simply didn't know where to look.

It was desperation which finally took hold, prompting her to call out at the top of her lungs:

"Cat Noir! Cat, where are you?!"

Her cries went unanswered by anything other than the rain. It continued to fall down atop them. Its never-ending downpour was almost deafening in its intensity as drops bounced off of the stones which surrounded them. Rivers of water had begun to form, working their way through and around the rubble so as to be able to rejoin some of the larger streams in the rest of the city. Marinette simply starred out at a loss, panic seeming increasingly likely as the notion of her friend being dead began to slowly sink in. It wasn't an eventuality which she had been able to prepare herself for. Anything but a fool, the teen had been aware that their "pastime" of saving Paris wasn't exactly safe. They had bounced back so many times however that she had found herself becoming somewhat complacent. Nobody could get the better of Ladybug and Cat Noir after all. She looked around, her instincts screaming at her to start doing something, namely digging to try and find him but not having any clue as to where to start.

"Marinette! Over here!"

A soft voice drew the teen's attention, it was one which she knew well. It belonged to a small and somewhat strange creature which had been her constant companion these past few months. Her eyes locked onto the ladybug kwami in the space of a few moments. The teen remained frozen in place, too surprised to move. Tikki was hovering over some timbers not all that far away. She didn't approach however, instead remaining in one place. It took Marinette a second to realize just what her friend meant. As soon as it had clicked however she began to run as quickly as her legs would allow her. Her aching muscles and the bruises which were beginning to form were forgotten in the space of an instant as she sprinted as quickly as possible. The rubble under her feet caused her to trip a few times. Each of them, she caught herself, grazing her hands even further. Barely even allowing it to slow her down, she was over in less than ten seconds. Following the gaze of the kwami, which wasn't focused on her so much as something in the rubble, she felt her heart sink abruptly.

It took a moment to spot the piece of leather-like material sticking out from a small hole visible in the debris. As soon as she had laid eyes on the somewhat unusual material, she was able to identify it. A mixture of fear and instinct took hold, prompting her to try and brush off as much of the dust as she could and remove the smaller pieces of stone. It was enough to allow her to make out at least a little more of the costume. He remained terrifyingly still. Barely even reacting as she gave him the gentlest of touches to check and see if he was still conscious. It was enough to generate some more panic, prompting her to get to her feet. With her already cut and grazed hands, the teen attempted to lift a larger piece of timber. She managed to raise it about an inch, her legs trembling, arms screaming and back informing her that she didn't have the strength required to shift it. She refused to let go however struggling with all of her might to shift the rubble. The weight was crushing as her spine threatened to give out.

A pair of hands came to her rescue, Rena Rouge was quick to offer her assistance. The superhero was far stronger than she could ever be, shoving the debris aside as if it were made out of polystyrene. They were quickly joined by both Carapace and Queen Bee. Neither hesitated. They waded in. Hands reaching for any piece of rubble they could find. It was thrown to one side, discarded as quickly as possible. There was a sense of frantic panic as the group scrambled to dig their friend out. Gradually, more and more of him was coming to light, unearthed by their efforts. Despite that, his body remained somewhat alarmingly still. If he was aware that they were in the process of freeing him, he wasn't letting on. As more of him became visible, their concern only grew. The urgency was palpable. Marinette had given up trying to move any of the debris, her efforts proved to be so ineffective that there was little point in her helping at all. Instead, she took his arms when they became visible, wrapping her arms around his chest and pulling him backwards as the others cleared what remained off of his legs. He was heavy, limp as she dragged him away, finally freeing him from the rubble.

She lay him back down as soon as he was out. Cat Noir was motionless. To her horror, she realized that he wasn't even breathing. Perfectly still, his head lay on one side. His right hand rested against his chest, just above his heart. It alone was clenched into a fist. Other than that, his body was utterly limp and lifeless. She waited tentatively, desperately for even the slightest sign of movement. Anything to prove that he was still alive. Time seemed to lose its importance as she stood there. It could have been seconds or hours that she waited for proof that her friend was still with them. Frozen, she was only able to stare down at him with eyes wide with horror, still struggling to process what she was seeing. It was with shaking legs that the teen gradually descended to her knees, so as to be only a few inches away from him. It was all that she could do to avoid collapsing. Tikki hovered near to his face, contemplating it painfully.

Then he gasped.

The action was so sudden that it caused her to let out an alarmed cry, instinctively backing off a foot or so. Filling his lungs with oxygen, Cat Noir began to cough. It was weak. Despite the rain, she felt as if it was possible to see some of the dust which he was frantically trying to expel having inhaled it during the collapse of the building. His breathing was rapid, just enough to allow him to cough some more. There was a sense of panic in the way that he moved, although limply he was incoherent, trying to make out the world around him, reliving what he had imagined to be the death of him. Too startled to react, Marinette could only stare for a few moments at her friend who had seemingly come back from the dead. Shaking her head, she gathered her wits about her, making up the distance between them in a matter of seconds. He was beginning to ease back into a form of sleepy weakness by the time that she had reached his side, threatening to lose consciousness once more.

He lay there, breathing heavily. His eyes were closed. They weren't however screwed shut as if to try and block out some pain. Indeed, there was something distinctly peaceful about his appearance. If he was suffering, he wasn't letting on to it. His muscles were relaxed with the exception of his fist which he was keeping pressed over his heart as it had been when they had first dragged him out of the debris. Marinette wasn't even entirely sure if the holder of the cat miraculous was aware of her presence right next to him. She was somewhat reluctant to disturb him for fear of worsening any injuries he might have. She raised her gaze to meet those of her friends. They were simply staring at him, evidently just as lost as she was, unsure how to proceed. Instinctively, she found herself thinking that they should probably have been calling an ambulance. There could be little doubt that something was wrong…

"Cat?.."

Her words seemed to be like a slap to him. His eyes opened suddenly, as if he had suddenly been awoken from some deep sleep. His breath hitched along with it, marking a certain amount of surprise. The green orbs were dull and unfocused, drifting listlessly around. They didn't rest on anything but appeared to none-the-less be searching for something. Through them, the word was entirely blurry, only a vague mass of shapes. The word was spinning, he couldn't rest his attention on anything. The night's sky alone offered some form of uniformity as that of darkness. A part of him wanted to reach his hand out to try and grab the sky above him. His body however wouldn't obey his commands. His gaze finally drifted over to her. She froze for a moment, unsure how to react. Although his eyes were resting on her, they seemed uncertain. It was as if he wasn't quite looking at her. There was some pain there physical but also sadness, bitter regret. Finally, some recognition seemed to creep into his eyes, like a small light dawning.

He shifted abruptly. The simple and seemingly mundane action apparently required an immense amount of effort, as his neck creaked round so as to be able to face her more easily. It was as if his spirit had returned abruptly, life snapping back into him. His mouth opened. A strange and unpleasant noise came out, half-way between a cough and a choke. He gasped and spluttered, evidently struggling to breathe. The words snagged in the back of his throat, allowing him only to utter a few syllables which slurred together becoming indecipherable. She felt as if it might have been her name which was trying to say but wasn't quite confident enough to be certain. His efforts were enough to prompt her to gently ease him up so that part of his body could rest against her lap, hopefully making him more comfortable. She held him there loosely in her arms, ensuring that she didn't injure him any further. There seemed to be comparatively little to indicate that Cat Noir was suffering. The only symptoms were an evident weakness and the fact that he was struggling to speak. Astonishingly, she couldn't see any physical wounds, it gave her hope that rest was all that was required for him to recover.

"Don't try to talk…"

She spoke softly to him. His expression changed, softening slightly. For all that, he didn't relax. If nothing else, her words only seemed to unsettle him further. He tensed up, gritting his teeth, she could feel him struggle to move. His muscles and tendons trying their best to obey his silent commands. Breathing rapidly, he managed to raise his right hand, the one which he had been clutching so desperately against his chest. It was probably only lifted a foot away from the rest of his body but that single effort was costing him dearly, demanding what little remained of his strength. Already, she could see his limb begin to tremble from the strain. Teeth clenched, he somehow managed to turn his hand. Very slowly, he unclenched his fist. His fingers opened, unravelling themselves so as to present his open palm. Her eyes locked on to the two ornate specks of red in a flash. They stood out against the black of his gloves like stars in a night's sky. She gawked at them, mesmerized. Suddenly, Tikki's reappearance made more sense.

Marinette reached out, taking his hand in her right one, keeping her left wrapped around his shoulders for support. She didn't reclaim the jewels however preferring to maintain a gentle contact with her friend. His strength had abandoned him. If it hadn't been for her, his hand would almost certainly have fallen. She ensured that it didn't whilst also making sure that it wasn't a strain on him.

"Thank you..."

She didn't know how he had managed to rescue her miraculous given the way that the whole thing had collapsed. He could only have had seconds to act. Rather than protecting himself, he had used that time to retrieve what he had taken from her. Shielding the small jewels against his chest as if they were a part of his very being, his most precious of possessions. Given the state of the destruction unleashed, she wasn't too sure if she would have been able to unearth them again had they been buried. The ladybug miraculous, she reasoned, could rather easily have been lost given the size of the earrings concerned. Having them back was a relief, although with Hawk Moth gone, a part of Marinette was wondering if they would ever see as much use as they had done these past few months.

Yet, Cat Noir didn't seem to understand. He averted his eyes, shaking his head slowly from side to side or rather allowing it to roll in such a motion. She frowned, not understanding. It took him a moment to look back up, his green eyes full of sorrow and regret. The others lingered, unsure what to do. They didn't dare speak, fearing that it would violate some sort of sacred intimacy which existed between the two of them. On the other hand, it was quite clear that something was very wrong with their friend. He showed no signs of recovering. Lying there, he was in a rather similar state to the one he had been in when they had first dragged him out of the rubble. The only difference was that he was now at least conscious. His strength however wasn't coming back to him and if anything only appeared to be diminishing, something made obvious by how much trouble he was having performing even the slightest of efforts. Marinette smiled softly, desperately trying to comfort him, let the young hero know that he was safe now and that everything was going to be alright.

"Hey… Come on kitty!"

Her words were soft, with a slightly teasing edge to them trying to draw out the jovial and flirtatious side of the Cat Noir she was far more familiar with and accustomed to dealing with. His green eyes rested on her face. He looked up at her, scarcely blinking. It was as if he was trying to assure himself that she was still there, as if some part of him felt that this was all a dream of some kind. In truth, the face of Marinette Dupain-Cheng was one of the few things which he could still perceive with any clarity, the rest of the world having taken on blurry outlines and growing increasingly darker. The rest of existence had become distant, distorted by a growing sensation not unlike finding himself underwater and an impossible tiredness which had taken hold. She alone offered any familiarity and comfort, he wasn't about to turn away from it.

As he lay there heavily in her arms, Marinette found herself raising her gaze to her friends for the first time, breaking eye contact with the teen in her arms to silently plead with them. Queen Bee got the message, acting on behalf of all of them she turned around and flew off quickly intending to get some manner of help. All of them were aware that there were certain situations which they weren't equipped to deal with and others less so. This was one of the latter. With one man already too injured to stand and another in as equally bad state – perhaps even worse – it was time to call some medical professionals for assistance. Thankfully, given the nature of what had just happened, she was relatively confident that some would be in the vicinity if not outside the gates then at least on their way, ready to react to the emergency at hand. Turning back, she found the familiar gaze of Cat Noir, still fixed on her, unwavering in its attention. She offered him a smile, it was meaningless but just enough to fool hopefully fool him (and if she was honest herself as well) in to thinking that everything was alright.

The sound of his breathing and the never-ending rain continued to drown out the rest of the city's usually bustling night-life. The breaths which he took were deep but not painful or otherwise strained. If anything they sounded relaxed, the sort that someone might take if they were exceptionally comfortable and potentially trying to fall asleep. A sudden beeping drew her attention, her eyes quickly flashed over to his ring. It was odd but up until that moment, it hadn't occurred to her that following his Cataclysm, his disguise would begin to wear off. An instinctive and familiar panic began to sink in:

"You're going to change back!"

He had another few minutes yet but not much. Briefly, she found herself wondering if there might be somewhere they could take him where he could change back – if not on his own, in private, then at least some place a little more intimate than out here in the open in front of Gabriel Agreste and his two assistants. The notion was dismissed however as impractical. She might not be a medic but she suspected that they had already moved him around more than was probably on balance safe. It was best to let him be for the time being. Hawk Moth was defeated, his miraculous reclaimed. They could lie, she supposed, pretend that they had simply found him like this: a random bystander who had rushed in to help when he'd noticed the building starting to collapse and rushed in to help, only to be buried himself. It was an excuse. She anticipated a certain amount of resistance and protests from the cat hero valuing his secret identity as much as she had hers.

Instead, a strange smile was his only response. She was unable to make out its meaning or understand the reasons for its presence. There was nothing teasing about it. If anything, there was something slightly sedate about the expression. It was calm, watery belonging to an individual who was struggling to stay awake. Apologetic. He's made a mistake and was now silently requesting forgiveness or rather, was asking it for something else. Something he had failed to do or would be unable to do. There was some sadness there, she could make that much out as well. A form of pained and sick realization made itself felt in the pit of her stomach, as slowly, she felt as if she might have been able to understand just what he was trying to say without the use of words.

"No..."

The smile faded slowly, replaced by the same somewhat absent look that he had been wearing earlier. His breaths became deeper, less regular but more rapid, they no longer seemed to be quite enough for him. For all that, he remained comparatively relaxed as he lay there. His eyes still refused to leave her face. They had grown dull however and spoke of his difficulty remaining even half-conscious. She hesitated for a moment, beginning to look around somewhat more desperately in search of some assistance. Once more, the superhero inhaled deeply, trying to summon enough strength for something. His lips moved, quivering as they did so. The young woman strained her ears, struggling to make out anything. It was barely even audible. Mutterings, distorted by a dry and raspy throat, were almost impossible to make out. She could only try and guess what he was attempting to say. It wasn't much, only a couple of words. Strained, he seemed to try uttering them a couple of times, repeating desperately. Try as she might, she couldn't understand what he was trying to say.

He became calmer a moment later. The effort from attempting to speak seemed to have utterly drained what remained of his strength. What little tension there had been in his body relaxed, leaving him almost utterly limp. Another beep. He would change back in only a matter of seconds. The idea didn't seem to bother the cat miraculous holder however as he continued to look up at her face, his eyes growing duller by the second as his breathing slowed. Desperation began to take hold of Marinette. She found herself struggling to hold back tears. It might not have been the best thing to do in the situation but she shook him slightly in an attempt to get him out of the torpor which he was sinking into increasingly. The action earned a brief groan. Through foggy eyes, Cat Noir gazed at her form as the rest of the word continued to fade into darkness. He was tired. She could see and understand that much. All he wanted was to rest. His breaths drew shallow, continuing to slow as his eyes fluttered.

"No! No! No! Don't do this! Come on, Cat Noir!"

Her panicked pleas barely even seemed to register with him. His eyes shifted, giving her one last sorrowful look. She tightened her grip on him, trying to act as some sort of an anchor for her friend to hold onto. To her surprise, her action earned something of a response this time. His fingers moved ever-so-slightly, tightening so as to exert a very small but none-the-less noticeable pressure. It was enough to cause her to stop. They locked eyes. For a few seconds, life seemed to have made its way back into them somehow. Cat Noir let out a brief grunt as he made one final gesture, if words weren't going to work, he would find some other way. A small smile crept its way onto his face, gentle and understanding. It seemed out of place given the situation. A few seconds after it had appeared, his breathing became more laboured, rapid but never quite enough to fill his lungs it would seem.

The smile vanished slowly fading away. That brief spark which had entered his eyes began to dull once more, replaced with a sorrowful expression. The grip on her hand loosened so that there was barely any tension there at all. Only her own strength served to allow him to hold his hand up. Tears brimming in her eyes, she shook her head, struggling to hold back sobs. Silently begging him to stay. His mouth opened for a second as if he was going to try some more attempts at talking but closed it a moment later, apparently thinking better of it. Eyelids fluttering, his breath hitched for a moment. Marinette instinctively held him a little closer to herself, feeling his chest struggling with the effort. Cat Noir rested his head against her. Green orbs drifted down, they weren't fixing anything any longer, becoming unfocused, as if the boy behind was no longer looking out through them.

"Please..." She was reduced to a whisper, barely anything more than a terrified plea. "Stay with me."

Cat Noir took a few more breaths. He didn't respond to her words, perhaps not ignoring them but unable to fulfil her request. Tightening her grip, the teen rested her chin atop his head. It was a proximity and closeness she had seldom experienced with her friend before, usually preferring to flee such things. Right now however it was all that she felt that she could do both to provide some comfort for him. It was instinctive, an attempt to latch on to what she knew in her heart of hearts was about to leave her. She couldn't control the tears which had begun to flow down her cheeks or the sobs which caused her body to shudder from time to time. Eyelids closed about half-way, the time between each of his breaths grew increasingly longer. There was a sigh, soft and gentle from the young man.

Marinette felt her blood run cold. She knew what had just happened. It was acknowledging that much which proved to be painful and something which she simply wasn't prepared to do. Closing her eyes, she spent a few seconds still holding onto her friend as she had been for the past couple of minutes now. If anything, she held him closer as if in response to the added limpness of his body in her arms. She could feel that his chest was no longer rising. No breaths were being taken. He had become utterly still. She heard Tikki let out a soft and regretful sigh of her own. The kwami flew over to her, resting on her shoulder. She nuzzled up to the teen's cheek. The small gesture was enough to snap Marinette out of the stupor that she had been in for the past few seconds, reminding her where she was and making her perhaps more aware of what had just happened. Pain and panic caused her heart to skip a few beats. Desperation which knew no logic or reason, provoked the teen to shake the body of her friend in her arms. She earned no response, his head rolling slightly with the rest of his heavy limbs as if someone had cut all of the strings which allowed him to control his actions.

"No! No! No!" She cried out her tone mounting in its concern. "Cat Noir! Come on! Please! Wake up!"

Her actions were enough to prompt Rena Rouge and Carapace, helpless spectators of the scene up until that point to rush over. They had been standing mere feet away, keeping their distance as shock had rooted them to the spot and a sense of respect for the strange bond which had existed between Cat Noir and Ladybug caused them to hang back so as to respect their privacy. They found themselves being abruptly brought back into reality by their friend's pained cries, seemingly refusing to accept the evidence which she held so desperately in her arms. Alya approached her best friend, hesitating to hold her close and to try and drag her away from what had just happened, put some distance between the two of them. Instead, the group simply found themselves panicking. The notion that they were mortal had crossed their minds more than once. It was hard for it not to when they were faced with such dangers on a daily basis. The dull and extinguished light behind the still partially open green eyes however was something which no amount of nightmares could prepare them for.

They wanted a miracle. They wanted Cat Noir to jump back up again as part of some kind of a strange and unpleasant joke but one where his heart was still beating. If that wasn't possible, to awake from this nightmare and find themselves back in the safety of their own beds with the rain thundering down outside their windows, safe in the knowledge that such an event could never happen.

"We could try CPR!" Nino's suggestion was one of desperation, anything to try and fix the damage that had been done. "Where's Queen Bee with that help?! We need a doctor!"

"They won't be able to do anything..."

None of them had noticed Nathalie getting to her feet and coming over to them. She seemed to have practically materialized by their side. Her presence was greeted by a mixture of surprise and some cold glares. It was undesired and they didn't attempt to hide that much from the woman. Rage formed from the grief which hadn't quite reached its climax yet and might not yet for a long while yet. The woman wasn't fazed. Her gaze focused more on the three surviving teens than the body of their friend. Her face was unreadable, the make-up trickling down her cheeks as the rain continued to lash down mercilessly on them. She approached cautiously, moving carefully so as to ensure that she didn't risk startling the frazzled group. It was only after she had made her way to within less than a yard to them that she dared to lower her gaze to fix Cat Noir. Her expression was altered slightly, a twitch, pain and regret became clear for a split second. Cautiously, she attempted to reach out towards the body:

"Don't touch him!" Marinette swatted the hand away as best as she could, almost trying to shield the body from the woman.

"I'm sorry…" She muttered, managing to maintain some calmness perhaps even some compassion. "-but your friend is gone."

"He's not-"

There was a sudden flash of green light accompanied by a series of rapid beeping from the jewel around his finger. Marinette was frozen in place. She'd forgotten about the countdown, other matters having distracted her. The difference was one which she felt rather than cared to look at. The clothes had changed but the weight of the body hadn't. It was the looks of the expressions of those who surrounded her which caused fear to begin to form in the pit of her stomach. Eyes wide, terror on her face, there was a look of horror on their faces which were impossible for her to ignore. They were frozen in one place. Even the assistant, usually so hard to read and business-like had turned pale. Her eyes, pupils dilated rested on the face of the young man in the teenager's arms.

There in the rain, for the first time, Marinette got the distinct impression that she knew who she would find if she chose to look down and see the face of Cat Noir. In part, that was what prevented her from doing so. At least by fixing the others, she herself wasn't forced to look at him. She could continue to fool herself for a little longer. One loss, after all, was already tearing at her from the inside, threatening to overwhelm what little self-control she had left. All she wanted to do in those few moments was go back home. The covers of her bed would offer her some sanctuary from the outside world. She could pretend that none-of-this had happened. That this time tomorrow there would be another akuma for her to face with her partner and that things could continue on much in the same way that they had been for the past few months. Closing her eyes, she felt another sob catch in the back of her throat.

Unable to put it off any longer, she chose to look down. Her body was trembling as she stood there, fear gripping every part of her. She didn't want to look or to see, it was her mind's way of trying to postpone the inevitable. As she looked down however, she found herself laying eyes on a familiar face. The mask was gone now, she didn't know how or when it had been lost but it made his features visible to the whole world. She recognized them instantly. Only yesterday, she had been blushing as they had been graced with a friendly and amicable smile as he had asked her if she'd seen Nino that day. Now he lay there, motionless. His mouth open just slightly, he looked relatively peaceful. His eyes however had grown dull and lifeless. She couldn't think for those few moments as she found herself faced with her friend. She almost expected him to get back up and announce that he was fine. The pain originating from the lump in her throat had become almost impossible to bear, the tears had stopped however pausing momentarily as her mind struggled to process what she was currently seeing. It was impossible, she reasoned, that it could be him. These two boys simply bore a striking resemblance to one another. After all, everyone knew that Adrien had run away, didn't they?

A small black creature manifested itself. It paid little attention to anything or anyone in its surroundings. Instead, the kwami of the black cat came over so as to hover mere centimetres in front of his miraculous holder's face. He contemplated it for a few moments, ears dipped back lowly. He let out a soft and pained whimpering sound before coming in closer. Snuggling up to the spot where the teen's cheek now rested against the rest of his body, Plagg nuzzled his partner, as if expecting a response. He stayed there despite the rain.

Marinette lost track of time after that. The tears came flowing freely down her cheeks as the weight of the loss finally hit home. Nino, Alya, Plagg, Tikki, Nathalie and the now frantically screaming Gabriel kept at bay only by the injuries to his own body and Gorilla forcing him to remain lying down so that he didn't harm himself further seemed to be nothing but white noise in the scheme of things. Only the body in her arms existed. She held onto him as tightly as she could. Her hand still clutching his, the action made painful by the set of earrings still held between them. This was wrong. A part of her continued to refuse to believe that he could be gone. He would wake up, a voice in her head told her, just like in all of those movies where somehow, the hero presumed dead would awaken against all odds, joking about it before making a prompt recovery. Cats had nine lives after all… For all that, he remained sleeping soundly, unmoved by his surroundings nor the pain that those who had cared for him were in. What was likely little more than a couple of minutes felt as if it could have been a few hours.

There were some new disturbances now: flashing lights and loud cries. Whilst the grieving teen didn't look up, she did take in at least some more of what was going on around her. Her ears could make out Chloe, close to hysterics, asking what Adrien was doing here and if he was okay. Alya struggled with her own tears, attempting to explain just what had happened. Blue eyes finally managed to tear themselves up from the body of her friend. Firemen shouted, calling that a boy had been hurt and to bring appropriate supplies. Tikki floated up, looking at the strangers with concern before turning back to her human partner.

"Marinette… You need to take his ring."

The kwami's voice was soft and gentle. She understood the pain which the girl was in but was ancient enough to realize that they couldn't allow it to stop them. This wasn't the first time that a Cat Noir (or Ladybug for that matter) had been so unfortunate as to fall in battle. Somewhere along the line, the current owner of the magical earrings knew full-well that her friend was right. They couldn't afford to let the destructive power of the ring fall into the wrong hands. These people would take Adrien away, she knew that. If at some point his miraculous was removed then it could easily be misused or simply lost. After everything that had just happened, they couldn't afford to let something like that happen again. Hawk Moth and his akumas had been proof enough of the destructive powers of the jewels if used for evil.

The teen fixed the ring still orning the blonde haired boy's finger. It had changed back into the plain white one which they all knew well and had never once questioned. It would be relatively easy to remove. Cautiously, she took her own earrings out from the hand which she had been holding onto so desperately for these past few minutes. Still holding on, with her remaining hand she reached for the second miraculous. Her fingers brushed against it. She pictured Adrien toying with it, a nervous tick he had developed which hadn't quite escaped her notice. She had passed it off as simply a mindless action and had never once imagined that it could potentially be linked to the massive amount of power contained within. Closing her eyes, she felt herself begin to tremble. It felt wrong, the very notion of what she was about to do caused her to feel sick in the stomach. Gradually, she found herself recoiling away from the ring.

"I-I can't…" The teen muttered shaking her head as yet more tears fell. "It's his… I can't just take it from him."

"He would have wanted you to-" Tikki began before being cut-off by a wave of the hand.

"It- It's not right!"

She tensed up suddenly as she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was positioned softly there, exerting a slight but firm pressure. Turning her head, the girl found herself faced with Nathalie. The older woman looked her in the eye, sorrow clear on her face but said nothing, not even attempting to justify or explain her action. She reached out slowly, as if she was worried that her movements might somehow spook the teen. Carefully, she took the ring in her fingers, removing it relatively easily. Plagg said nothing, watching out of the corner of his peripheral vision but still refusing to abandon his partner, remaining snuggled up to him. The woman removed the jewel before taking Marinette's hand. With the gentlest of motions, she pried it away from that of her friend. It slipped away, she hadn't intended to release it but found herself incapable of holding on any longer. As a result, his hand hit the ground hard, creating a splash in the puddle. The teen glanced down sorrowfully before turning her attention back to the personal assistant. The woman placed the miraculous cautiously in the palm of her hand before forcing the teenager's fingers closed so that it formed a fist.

Gabriel Agreste's assistant wasn't quite finished however much to the baffled Ladybug's astonishment. Slowly, with a somewhat trembling hand she extended her hand once more. Taking a deep breath, she managed to soothe her nerves brought on by the emotion. The woman placed her thumb and index fingers on the eyelids of the teen she had watched grow up. Applying some pressure, she brought them down slowly so that they were closed, permanently shut off from the world surrounding them. Her job done, she placed both of her hands on her lap and knelt there in silence, her eyes closed and head hung low. She captured the girl's attention for a few more moments before once more, she turned to the body of her friend in her arms.

The sirens and anguished cries went unnoticed. They along with the tears were lost to the rain.


	5. Release

**_Author's note: A little more than a week, I know. Sorry for the delay and thanks again for all the reviews._**

 ** _/_**

Was it late? Early? The sun was still a way away and that rain still hadn't stopped. Most of Paris was asleep. It was that strange time when those who worked late nights had finally been permitted to return to their beds whilst the city's early risers took advantage of their last hours rest. As such, it was unusually quiet. A tranquil stupor had taken over the city, allowing it breathe a little more easily and its inhabitants to recover.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng lay on her bed. She wasn't under the covers but rather on top of them. Curled up in a ball, clutching a pillow, it was easy to tell that she hadn't adopted the most comfortable of positions to rest in. Indeed, sleep had only come as a result of exhaustion and only late on when her body had been unable to continue any longer. For all that, a spectator found her to look rather peaceful as she dozed. Upon closer inspection however, the pillow which she held onto so tightly, as if it was the only thing keeping her afloat in a vast ocean, could be found to be wet. Even her cheeks were still, somewhat damp, marks from her tears still in part visible. There was still a slight redness around her eyes, proof that her show of emotion had lasted quite some time. A series of cuts, grazes and bruises were visible across her skin, a testament to what she had lived through. They had been tended to and would heal given enough time. From time to time she would shiver, needing the warmth of her covers but too deeply asleep to be able to pull them over herself.

On a small table next to her bed there lay a ring and a broach. Two strange little creatures lay there, curled up in little balls. A piece of fabric had been folded over a few times in order to provide some padded comfort for them. The third kwami was also sleeping, this time resting on her partner's shoulder. She offered a familiar presence, something to ease at least some of the teen's pain. A couple of chairs pulled up close to the bed confirmed that she hadn't been left alone that night for any amount of time by anyone. Her parents keeping watch for as long as either of them could bear until they were certain that their only daughter had finally succeeded in drifting off to sleep once at least some of the tears had eased up and exhaustion had eventually taken over. They had left her somewhat reluctantly, preferring to give the girl some time to rest by herself. They were all too aware that there was only so much that even the love of parents could heal.

A live news feed continued to be broadcast and was watched through the computer. The speakers had been muted. It was the same story: hot news which had been running all day. To protect her from swarm of questions and interrogations, her phone had been turned off. Hundreds of messages from friends, family-members, acquaintances and people who she didn't know, all wanting to get her version of the story. Her parents had contemplated taking away the device to protect her from the never-ending waves of intrigue and individuals looking for a scoop. They had only been told so much by the authorities who they themselves were still trying to piece together what had happened. The mansion had been attacked. Hawk Moth had fallen, his identity revealed to the world. Ladybug and Cat Noir were nowhere to be seen. Only Queen Bee, Rena Rouge and Carapace had been found on the scene along with a group of four civilians, shaken and horrified. Somewhere along the line, tragedy had struck.

Adrien Agreste was dead.

There was still some uncertainty about how it had happened. Some claimed a terrible accident and that the lad had been unfortunate enough as to become trapped in the rubble as the building had collapsed. Others spoke of Hawk Moth himself, in his fury, being the one to lash out and deal the fatal blow. The authorities preferred not to make any statements waiting for a results from an autopsy and until they had managed to get some form of collaboration between the various accounts of those who had witnessed the incident. His father, Gabriel Agreste had suffered several fractures, most noticeably to his ribs but would live. His reputation however was in tatters. The shares in his company had already collapsed when it has become known just who lay behind the mask. Now, many questioned just how much of a role his son had had in the events, finding it hard to believe that he could have been entirely innocent and unaware of what was going on under his own roof.

There was a definite chill in the air, like that which could be felt as the sun rose in a frost covered meadow. Even the heating present inside the building didn't seem to be enough to protect against it. The trapdoor to the room opened silently without so much as a creak. The figure of a young man slipped in. He walked casually, not sneaking. He didn't need to, his feet barely made any noise as he padded slowly across the room. His attention flickered around the room, remembering the last time that he had found himself here. It was quite clear from the way that he moved around that he had no particular goal or reason for being here. In fact, the way that moved and locked around spoke of some confusion. Almost as if he was surprised to find himself in this place and now didn't know just where to go or what to do. Finally after a couple of seconds, his eyes found the form of the sleeping teenager.

Instantly, his gaze softened along with the rest of his features. They became marked with a look of gentle compassion. He took a few steps forwards, stopping slightly short of the bed. His attention drifted briefly over to the resting kwamis, ensuring that they were well and truly asleep. A few moments worth of careful observation confirmed that they were. He went back to contemplating the teen. The details pointing to the rough night she had experienced didn't escape his notice. He let out a pained sigh upon seeing them. It was wrong that someone as kind as Marinette should have been suffering to such an extent. Hesitating somewhat, it took him a few seconds to chose to act. He cautiously reached out, taking the sheet which lay at the base of the bed and pulling it up so as to cover her. He did so slowly, taking the greatest of precautions to ensure that he didn't wake her up, acting as if she were made out of glass and that the slightest touch might cause her to shatter. She reacted briefly to the change, tensing up slightly before recognizing subconsciously what had been done and snuggling into the newfound warmth. A sad smile traced itself onto his lips. He nodded a few times as if to say "good" before turning away, preparing to leave.

His attention fell however on the computer screen and the news it was still broadcasting. Curious, he tiptoed his way down the ladder. He took in the information gradually and in silence. Feeling pain and regret more than anything else and wishing that he had a voice to speak out with. It was the same old story getting recycled again and again as they failed to find anything else new to add to it and so attempted to spin it out until something new and concrete emerged. The face of Gabriel Agreste appeared on the screen, it was a video taken using a phone camera by a spectatorwho had arrived on the scene. The man was obviously in pain, being carried away into an ambulance. His words however, despite not being heard due to the muted speakers, were possible to make out as he frantically called and pleaded for his son. Fingers extended, brushing against the pixels of the screen and the man's face. He rested his head against the screen, closing his eyes as he let out a heavy sigh.

"Adrien?"

The voice was timid, uncertain, perhaps a little hoarse from the sobs which had been afflicting its owner's throat all day. A pair of blueberry eyes were spying down on him from the ladder, peering over the edge. He met them with a look of surprise, like a kid caught with their hand in a cookie jar. His mouth hung open, too startled to respond. All either party could do was stare, unblinkingly at the other. It was the young man who finally managed to regain some composure first. He put on a gentle smile, intended to be as calming and reassuring as humanly possible. Turning away from the computer, he took a few steps away so as to be in full view. He spoke softly, keeping his voice quiet but not quite at a whispering level. It was a polite request, one which could have proven to be effective given how exhausted she was.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep Marinette."

It was probably foolish to have hoped for it to work.

Marinette was awake now. Something had stirred her from a somewhat restless sleep. She couldn't have said what it was. The urge to drift back off again immediately afterwards had been a powerful one. Something however had lingered in the back of her mind however, preventing her from doing so. An itch which troubled her enough to prompt her to force her heavy eyelids open. She had found her room exactly as she had left it. It was still dark outside so the teen hadn't even thought to check what time it was knowing that it would be too early for her to reasonably get up or be asked to get up. It had nagged at her until she had as silently as possible slipped off her covers. Tikki had woken up a few seconds later. The kwami had seemed distracted, barely paying any attention to her human partner, instead looking around the room uncertainly. It had been enough to prompt the teen to get up. She had tip-toed over to the edge, ready to descend the ladder. That's when she had seen him.

Standing there, as clear as day, she found him. It was impossible to dismiss him as a trick of the light. There was too much detail. He looked exactly as the last time that she had seen him before the insanity of their last battle, when he had waved goodbye for the weekend. His own surprised expression was replaced by a soft smile, the likes of which he had so often given her. The hair on the back of her neck stuck on end. This was a dream, it had to be. Shaking her head rapidly, she attempted to chase the illusion away. She wanted him back, it was true. She figured that would naturally lead to her mind to try to make the impossible possible by imagining him back here with her. She closed her eyes, tugging at her hair slightly with frustration.

"No! No! It can't be you! I'm just imagining things!" Nerves caused her to talk to herself, trying to reason with her own mind that it was all just wishful thinking.

"Hey! Hey! Easy there!" Somehow, he made next to no noise as he scampered up the ladder and over to her. "Stop that!"

She tensed up suddenly. A pair of hands had been placed on both of her shoulders. They rested there, applying only a small amount of pressure. It was enough however to instantly cause her to stop her panicking, although for all that she wasn't breathing. Slowly, she raised her gaze to meet his. Noticing that he now had her attention and that she had relaxed slightly, he smiled softly. An unnatural warmth seemed to be coming from him, she couldn't quite explain it. It felt different to that of any other human-being she had encountered. In truth, she wasn't entire sure that it was a human warmth. Whatever it was, no questions were asked. The hands let go of her shoulders, choosing to move up to her wrists and gently prying them away from her already messed-up hair. She could only stare, barely even blinking. There was no doubt in her mind that this was Adrien, the boy she'd had a crush on for the best part of a year and whose schedule she knew better than her own.

Her only question was: how?

The miraculouses may have opened her mind to the world of the supernatural but there was only so much she could accept or explain. She had ruled out the possibility of a dream or a hallucination. That didn't leave much in terms of logical explanations. His body should have been under the care of the authorities given that they had been the ones to take him away. So just how he had managed to get into her house and into her room on the top floor was beyond her. Her panic, vanquished only moments ago, returned as a number of somewhat terrifying hypothesises entered her mind. She found herself backing away from the teen, putting some distance between the two of them. He didn't give chase, choosing to remain where he was and give her some space.

"What are you?! A ghost? A zombie?" Images from some of the horror movies she had been forced to endure throughout her life resurfaced in her head, bringing with them genuine terror. "Please tell me you're not a zombie!"

"Relax." He chuckled, covering his mouth slightly as he did so. "It's okay. I'm not a zombie."

That allowed her to breathe somewhat more easily. She wasn't too sure what she would have done had she discovered that her crush had come back as an undead hungry for human brains. It did leave her perplexed however. For a moment, she feared the worst, wondering if someone, somewhere might have made a wish to bring him back, perhaps his father or even Nathalie. It took her a second to remember that was impossible given that she had currently in her possession both the ladybug and cat miraculouses. As much as she might have longed for it, she hadn't been the one to make such a wish and to summon him back. Instead, her mind travelled to somewhat more sombre areas, looking for a potential explanation trudging through some books she had read and films she had seen in the hopes they might offer some clarification as to just how she could be sitting here like this, even if it was from the realms of fiction:

"Am I dead?.." Could they both have been dead together? Trapped in some form of limbo? She realized it was unlikely but found herself asking none-the-less.

"No. No, you're not."

He spoke calmly, reassuringly. She breathed a silent sigh of relief. For a moment, she had found herself wondering if she'd made it out of the collapsing building at all and if everything since then had all been a part of some weird afterlife. Regardless of that information, she remained none-the-wiser as to just how this was possible. Naturally, she found herself turning to her kwami. Surely with all of her immense age and experience behind her, Tikki would have some insight into just what was going on. Whilst the small creature didn't appear to be surprised or concerned by the presence of a dead boy, she didn't offer much if anything in terms of an explanation or even comfort. Instead, she hovered in the air, near to the holder of her miraculous but said nothing, allowing the girl to make what she would of the situation.

There was some motion on the table next to them. Plagg, sleepy although he was, yawned loudly, stretching very much like a real cat. His green gaze ran over the room, initially focusing on Marinette and giving her a reproachful glare for having disturbed his rest. It was only after a few moments that he turned to Adrien. Eyes widened with recognition. The kwami shook his head with disbelief. A broad smile spread across his face, a split-second later he had rushed Cat Noir, colliding with him like a bullet. The teen laughed softly, failing to hide all of his sadness as he held the being against him somewhat awkwardly. The scene was enough to prompt the girl to relax slightly. She wasn't as fond of her friend's partner as she was of her own. It had been a traumatic few hours of course but so far he was proving to somewhat… difficult… Refusing to eat anything other than the finest Camembert and choosing to hide in her dirty sock pile for some reason. This was the closest she'd seen to him looking even vaguely happy. In fact, since the incident, it was the closest that she'd seen anyone to looking happy.

"You're a soppy idiot, you know that right?" The kwami eventually informed him, resting against his cheek.

"You've told me a few times..." The teen replied with a gentle smile.

"Sly cat, are you cheating death?" The kwami floated away, putting some distance between the two of them once more. "Cause I should warn you, he doesn't like that much."

"I don't really know. There's something I needed… I wish I could remember."

That statement got even the kwamis raising their eyebrows perplexed. Marinette had largely given up trying to understand just what was going on, convinced that she wouldn't be able to. It seemed pointless to question it. If nothing else, she figured that it would ruin the moment. He was back with them. That was something to be taken advantage of, not analysed to death. Although that being said, she found herself struggling to get her thoughts together in order to interact normally with her friend – granted, as Alya would likely have said, that was hardly unusual where she and the blonde haired boy was concerned. A strange silence settled in. It was made somewhat uncomfortable by everything which had passed between them. Secrets and tragedies made the air seem thick. There was no hostility but rather a thousand words which had gone unsaid, neither knowing where to begin.

Marinette folded her hands on top of her lap, kneeling down on the edge of her bed. She watched as her friend moved over to the edge of the platform. He hesitated a moment before swinging his legs over and allowing them to dangle down. Sitting there, he gazed out over the city, decorated by thousands of streetlights. The sight was rendered somewhat blurry by the waters which continued to rain down from the heavens. It was a distraction, once glance told the teenage girl that his mind was elsewhere, focused on other matters. The silence lasted a few minutes however before he turned his gaze slowly to fix her and asked in a quiet voice:

"Are you okay?"

She nodded once. It was a lie. She hadn't been "okay" since the incident and doubted that she would be any time soon. It was a fact which she didn't bother to trouble him with. He could likely guess anyhow. It didn't require a genius or a psychologist to know that the things that she minutes witnessed had come as quite the blow. Curiously, whilst she couldn't forget those terrible minutes leading up to her friend's last moments, the events after Adrien's death were somewhat blurry in her mind. It was almost as if a part of her had fled, running as far away as it could to avoid facing the reality. She remembered not wanting to let go of him, even trying to fight the firemen who had tried to take him from her. Eventually, with some assistance from Nathalie, they had been able to wrestle her away, calming her slightly. They had made some attempts to reanimate him but they had been abandoned relatively quickly, a sheet being placed over him instead to shield him from the press who were practically climbing the walls in search of a scoop. The rest was a mixture of flashing lights and a trip to the city hospital. The police had talked to her for a while, eager to get some kind of an explanation as to what had happened. Despite everything, she'd managed to muster the presence of mind to come up with a half-baked excuse: she'd gone round to the Agrestes to work on some homework with her friend, the madness had started, she'd hidden along with Gabriel's staff. Nobody had questioned her version of events. Apparently it fit with the other tales they had been told. Either that or she was in for trouble later on further down the line.

Adrien didn't question her answer, turning away once more. He might have chosen to look back towards the city but his attention seemed to catch on something else. It was a box of macaroons. The finest that Tom Dupain-Cheng could make. They had been left there by the side of her bed should she find herself feeling hungry. After a day eating next to nothing, she had finished it with little to no appetite. Her parents had reasoned that some food – even the unhealthiest – was better than none. His attention only lingered on the sweets for a moment before he averted his eyes in a way which reminded her of a child longing for something but too afraid to ask. She smiled softly:

"Do you want one?"

"Of your macaroons? Yes please!" He added quickly afterwards. "If you don't mind..."

"Of course not." She picked up the box, handing it to him and allowing him to take his pick. "My dad made them actually but like my parents always say, something sweet is better when it's shared!"

"Thank you."

He took one, eating it slowly. Taking small bites, he managed to make what was only a mouthful for some into practically a main course, savouring it. Marinette had gone back to thinking this might have been a dream. She sat there, contemplating the face of the boy she had watched die, trying not to remember those terrible last few seconds as he sat there. There was something about her friend's demeanour which remained sombre, distant and distracted. The smiles from earlier seemed to be something of a façade hiding the pain which lay just underneath. As he finished the last few crumbs of his treat, with his eyes glancing out the window over the city. She didn't disturb him, neither did the three kwamis, who remained floating, watching in silence as he contemplated the last piece of what remained of her father's cake. He held it with the tips of his fingers it was so small, he looked at it sorrowfully as if it somehow carried the secret to his entire existence before declaring quietly in a pained tone:

"I wish I'd have had more of these… Guess it doesn't matter now."

"Do you remember what happened?" Marinette couldn't help but ask, unsure whether she would have preferred the answer to be affirmative or negative.

"Kinda." He shrugged his shoulders before allowing them to slouch. "I remember being frightened and being tired. You were there. Then it's like I just fell asleep. I had to say something to you-but I can't remember what. It's eating away at me."

Unfinished business? Sadly it didn't look like it was the macaroons as he downed it in one. Kicking his legs, his troubled expression was becoming somewhat difficult to bear. For the life of her, Marinette didn't know what to do. There was still a part of her which demanded that she begin to panic given that none of this was possible in the first place. It was odd but she found herself realizing in those few moments that at the end of the day, she hadn't know Adrien Agreste very well. For all that she had fancied him and spent arguably far too much of her time fantasizing about that boy with golden hair and green eyes, she had spent comparatively little time with him, much less in private. It left her confused, uncertain, even although she now knew that she was faced with Cat Noir as well as her crush, she still couldn't find it as easy to relax or to know where to stand. Granted, she supposed that the oddity of the situation wasn't helping.

Confused and perhaps beginning to feel the effects of a lack of sleep, she rocked back and forth on her heels, uncertain. The events of the previous day replayed in her mind. There wasn't one of them which she felt she could look back upon without coming close to shedding a tear. The wounds were still fresh and the presence of her friend was causing them to open up once more with a vengeance. She tried not to focus too much on that aspect of things, struggling to find something to distract herself with. What came out, even to her own ears, sounded like a rather stupid statement but it was all she could think of to try and avoid lingering on the worst moments she had spent with the teenager:

"I didn't know you were Cat Noir… You're like-"

"Two completely different people?" He gave her a teasing smile, momentarily shaking off his sorrow. "We both had that down to a fine art, don't you think?"

"I guess so..." She averted her eyes, looking down at her lap for a moment. "I'm not quite the girl you were imagining, huh?"

"Well, I'd call it a surprise but then I like surprises."

There was a slight blush which crept onto her cheeks, causing them to turn bright pink for a couple of seconds. She hadn't had much of an opportunity to contemplate the revelation of Cat Noir's true identity. It had struck her as a rather pointless thing to mull about now: both were gone and weren't coming back, at least so she had thought. It was a matter that the Ladybug part of her wanted to face. She'd heard enough of the news reports to know that not all of them were being kind to her deceased friend. They weren't to know his masked identity of course but instinctively the injustice of it all had made her contemplate storming out into the streets as the city's hero and setting the record straight. It had been Tikki who convinced her not to. Such things needed to be done when she was thinking more clearly. Sleep deprived and with a bleeding heart, she was liable to do something which she later regretted.

Lowering her head, she found herself back in the rain, knowing that her friend was going to die but powerless to do anything about it. She didn't know why he was here or how it was possible but his presence summoned back every single terrible moment that she had been forced to live through. A familiar and painful lump was beginning to form in her throat, as tears stung at the corners of her eyes. If he was aware of her distress, he wasn't letting on. She hesitated, knowing what she wanted to say but unsure if it was appropriate. There were no words to express just what she had felt as she had watched him pass. Strangely, he could recall having much to say to him and wishing that she had done things differently. Now that he was here and that she had that chance, all those speeches just wasted away leaving her with little more than a sob to let out:

"I'm sorry..."

"It was my fault, not yours. Don't blame yourself."

She stared at him through watery eyes, unable to understand. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure what she had been expecting: anger? Blame? Resentment? She could have understood any of those. Instead, she found herself faced with a gentle smile and forgiveness than she could comprehend. Her apology perhaps didn't concern her own actions so much as what had happened to him. She doubted that it was entirely possible to ever express that amount of sympathy, at least not with words. It took her some time to regain her composure, wiping away her tears and taking a few deep breaths to ease her sobs. A little bit uneasy, Adrien waited patiently. He neither told her to get a grip nor invaded her private space, preferring to allow her to regain a sense of herself in her own time. His calmness proved to be somewhat contagious as she soon found herself recovering from the brief outburst.

Coming over to sit next to him, she allowed her legs to dangle down over the edge as well. There was something peaceful about sitting there, taking in the city lights together. She remained troubled but allowed herself to be distracted momentarily by the sight. There was a certain amount of beauty about the place which she found herself periodically forgetting about. She was under no allusion that this was only a brief moment of respite. It couldn't last forever but for a few moments, decided that she could appreciate the calmness. She found herself wishing that they could have done this before without such heavy baggage weighing down between them, making matters complicated and perhaps more awkward than they should have been. Try as she might, it was impossible to completely ignore the elephant in the room as much as she wished that she could simply enjoy the company of someone whom she had thought lost forever, there were still matters which needed to be addressed before she could relax completely:

"What now?"

"I don't know…" Adrien spoke softly, his words barely above a whisper. "Honestly, I'm a little scared. I messed up pretty badly… I'm guessing I'm going to have to pay for that."

She stared at him, unsure how to respond. She wanted to assure him that his worries were unfounded. Despite recent events, he had never been anything but a good person. How many times had he risked his life selflessly for the good of others, many of whom she doubted he even knew? More than either of them cared to count, that much was for sure. Something caused her maintain her silence for a few moments however. Her eyes drifted over the figure of her friend. She still hadn't decided if he was part of a dream or of he was an apparition from beyond the grave. Whatever the case, there was enough sorrow there to create more than a little bit of pity. She reached out, hesitating slightly as she prepared to put a hand on his shoulder, a small gesture which would hopefully serve its purpose of comforting him.

His head snapped around suddenly, not to face her but rather to look out of the window. He appeared distracted. His eyes were wide. She turned her own gaze to look but found herself seeing nothing. It was the same old rain, the same old sky and the same old city, slowly turning over at such an early hour in the morning. Something out there had most definitely captured his attention however. He remained focused on whatever lay beyond the glass for a good few moments. She realized eventually that his pupils were darting around. They were very much searching for something as opposed to actually seeing it. His breaths were more rapid, marking his concern. Desperately, she joined him in attempting to locate whatever was troubling him but was met once more with nothingness. Whatever was out there – if anything – it was beyond her perception. Before she could question him any further, he seemed to calm down. Relaxing noticeably as he let out a heavy and regretful sigh:

"I- I was scared." His voice trembled slightly with the revelation. "I never knew who my father was until a couple of days ago. I didn't know what to do… I wanted mom back."

His shame was evident. Sitting there, he hung his head lowly as he slouched, hands folded over his lap. His eyes were focused anywhere but her as he seemed to be unable to bear even the slightest sight of her. His motivations had been clear to her as soon as she had seen the photographs of the two Agrestes together. She knew enough about his home life to know that he would want nothing more than to have her back. Had their positions been reversed and she had lost her own mother, she could imagine being willing to do practically anything to have her back, even if that meant making a deal with the devil. It was hard to be angry at him for that much. There was something which continued to trouble her slightly however as she sat there. The rumours being broadcast by some of the news outlets came back to her. At the time, she had made assumptions, guesses based on events and latterly on their ultimate outcome. When faced with the opportunity to get a clear-cut answer however, she couldn't help but ask in a quiet and forbidden voice:

"Did you know what the cost would be?"

"That someone would have to die? No." He stopped letting out a shaky sigh as he did so before turning back to her, eyes somewhat watery. "Please believe me Marinette, I never wanted to kill anyone. If I thought that anyone would get hurt I-"

He became distracted once more, distant as his head snapped round. The alarm on his face was clear to read. This time the teen felt as if she might be able to sense _something_. It was out there, just out of sight but also coming closer. She had no clue as to just what it was. There was a slight chill in the air which seemed to hang unnaturally. It was enough to cause her to shudder as if someone had just walked over her grave, forgetting for a moment that she was in the company of a dead boy. There was something inevitable about whatever lay just beyond the horizon. For all that, it didn't feel entirely menacing to Marinette. The panic on Adrien's face was plain to see, as he turned back to face her. It wasn't fear so much as urgency which seemed to be driving him. There were tears brimming behind his green eyes. He shook his head, beginning his sentence a few times but struggling to find the right words to start with:

"I never thought- I wanted to keep you safe- Please..." His voice faded out as he took some deep breaths, gathering his thoughts and feelings together. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry..."

She silenced him in an instant, stopping his outburst. She felt his muscles tense up as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The timidity which had haunted her and held her back in the face of Adrien these past few months vanished as soon as she registered the pain behind his eyes. She could tell that he was frozen from the shock of her action. His arms were raised slightly in surprise, almost as if he'd been expecting an attack of some kind. Her only response was to hold him a little bit tighter, taking note of the strange warmth which seemed to be originating from him. Time had stopped for those first few moments. Anyone who had entered the room would have believed that they were somehow looking at a pair of statues as opposed to two actual living beings. Marinette closed her eyes, allowing the impact of what she had just done to sink in. Strangely, she felt neither regret nor embarrassment as she held onto him. After a while, she dared to look up to see the stunned teen's expression. Incredulity caused his mouth to hang open, his eyes wide both startled and unsure how to respond. She offered him a sad but somehow also warm smile, before speaking in a soft voice:

"Adrien Agreste and Cat Noir are two of the best people I know." The last part she added as more of a whisper than anything else. "I forgive you."

He closed his eyes, the tears which had been threatening to come were banished in a second. His arms wrapped themselves around her, finding some comfort in her presence. They pulled her in as close as she could come whilst allowing her to still breathe. Finally, he relaxed slumping down slightly so that it felt like she was the only thing preventing him from collapsing completely. Finally finding some form of peace, she allowed her eyelids to slip closed. It became easy to forget about the world around her. Everything that had happened seemed to magically fade away into non-existence. What she had assumed to be a dream became her reality and the world she had found herself trapped in these past few hours was rendered little more than a nightmare which the presence of her friend was able to chase away. She buried her head against his chest, allowing herself to forget everything for a few moments.

Maybe that was why she held onto him so desperately, refusing to let go or open her eyes for fear of him vanishing or awakening to find that it was all just a dream. It felt real enough. They were together again and nothing would be able to tear them apart, they were Ladybug and Cat Noir after all, the unbeatable team. So many people had tried to defeat them and to break the bond that they shared and yet here they were, still with one another. It felt like even death wasn't enough to keep them apart. The painful regret of everything which had happened, the unspoken truth that something had changed, something had been broken between them was banished by those few moments of proximity with one another.

It couldn't last. She knew that much. The spell was going to be broken.

There was a strange glow in the sky. Marinette noticed it despite her eyelids being closed firmly. It forced her to look up, away from her friend and out into the darkness. For a moment, she thought that it might have been the dawn coming up. A quick glance to a clock allowed her to dismiss that as impossible. She tried to ignore the oddity, reasoning that it could be a helicopter or a car in the street below causing the phenomena. It wouldn't account for the warmth however which seemed to be radiating gently from the beams. She struggled to close her eyes and block it out, desperate to hold onto her friend for as long as possible. She found herself unable to do so however, quickly becoming mesmerised by its beauty. Adrien tried his best to ignore what was happening. He tightened his grip on her, silently pleading for her to look away and forget about it whilst keeping his own eyes firmly screwed shut in a firm and frantic denial of what was going on. Plagg and Tikki floated closer to them, trying in their own way without words to convince him to accept what was happening. He refused stubbornly, desperately trying to avoid giving in to the temptation to turn around and look.

" _Adrien_ … _Adrien_ …."

A soft voice called for him. It was a whisper. Gentle, enticing without a hint of malice. The sort which seemed to banish all the wrongs of the world and any fear which might have lingered. The likes of which some would go out of their way to hear it brought such comfort. He recognised it instantly. It's effect on him what that of a siren's song: hypnotic and impossible to ignore. His eyes shot open abruptly as if he'd just had a current of electricity run through him. Like a moth to a flame, he found himself compelled to look away and to face the small space in front of the window. The strange light had flooded in, bathing that small space in a warm and golden glow. Sparks seemed to dance around like fireflies, hovering slowly around the figure which had somehow materialized in the room.

She was both there and not there. There was something of an aura around her, shining brightly but not so dazzling as to no longer be possible to look at. Her clothes were plain and white. Not a strand of hair was out of place. She was beautiful, nobody could deny that. For all that she was standing there, the woman didn't appear to be entirely present. Her body was somewhat transparent upon closer examination, not so much as to be immediately noticeable but when stared at for long enough, it became somewhat difficult in parts to make her out from the light she was immersed in. A soft smile marked her angelic face as she fixed them both calmly. Unaffected by the elements, there seemed to be a slight breeze originating from where she stood. It wasn't unpleasant but rather quite the opposite, somewhat reminiscent of a warm summer's evening. Even the smell, jasmine and blossoms was appealing. Adrien remained frozen place, looking over his shoulder, unable to blink or speak. It was Marinette who took his hand, shaking him out of his torpor as she did so. She squeezed it gently, letting him know that he wasn't alone. Gawking slightly, his lips trembled as he managed to utter despite his shock:

"Mother?"

His tentative question was enough to cause her to smile gently. No more confirmation was required. He knew full-well who she was. Completely captivated, he showed strangely little emotion. Perhaps, Marinette reasoned, it was simply the shock of seeing here there, a woman who had departed the world some time ago. The teen's friend had loved his mother, she knew that for a fact. It was evident both in just how present he was in her life despite her absence, those photos which he had of her decorated his room. She had been loved by both son and husband judging by how her presence dominated parts of their household. After all, Gabriel Agreste had been prepared to become a monster and do the unspeakable in order to bring her back. Her son was ready to do almost as much if required. It took a special woman to drive those who loved her to such extremes the teenage girl told herself. She felt Adrien pull her hand slightly. If the urge to go closer was a strong one, his unease and timidity were proving to be equally powerful. She felt him clench her hand a little more tightly, nerves clearly taking their toll.

She tightened her grip in turn, intertwining their fingers. A gentle smile, unspoken words: _Its okay… I'll stay with you._

They climbed down the ladder, setting foot on the same level as the apparition. She said nothing, smiling and waiting patiently as if she had all the time in the world. There was something gentle and appeasing in her attitude which seemed to send out waves of calmness, promising that they were okay and that nothing and nobody would hurt them here. For all that, Adrien held back, almost rooted to the spot as he fixed the woman. Marinette couldn't have sworn it but those green eyes of his which remained wide almost seemed to be afraid. She fixed him with a look of gentle compassion but said nothing. Their attitudes didn't quite seem to match one another. There was a disconnect somewhere along the line. One loving, the other fearful. A blue grazed travelled from one to the other slowly. This wasn't exactly a scenario she had ever envisaged before but now that she found herself here, she found it odd, uncomfortable. With her other hand, she wrapped it around that of her friend, hoping to somehow give her the courage that he seemed to be lacking.

It was only when her friend finally spoke that Marinette finally understood.

"C-Can't I stay? I don't want to go..."

His plea sounded almost childlike. She'd heard Manon utter similar ones when she was begging for just five minutes longer at the zoo. This was somewhat different however it wasn't only marked by reluctance but also fear. His tone was almost enough to make her join in, backing him up with his request. It wasn't fair the way that he had been taken from them. Whatever the rights and wrongs leading up to the event, there could be no denying that he had given his life to save them and to try to put right the wrongs he had helped bring about. If he had succeeded, it was only at a terrible cost to himself. Surely, he deserved a reprieve for his actions, not just those of a few hours ago but the months of protecting Paris beforehand. She found herself compelled to silence however, for a split second, the woman's gaze felt like it might have settled onto her, almost as if she could read the teen's mind, knowing each of her thoughts. The gaze compelled her into silence, causing her to avert her own for a few moments, fixing the floor instead. She was told to stay out of this, not forcefully but made very well aware that this was out of her jurisdiction for lack of a better term.

Adrien as well seemed more sheepish. His hand had slipped away from hers as he stood before his mother, his attitude was very much that of someone expecting a sentence. Marinette gave them some space, unsure what else she could do in the current situation. The woman's eyes rested on him for a moment, they maintained a kindness and understanding as they studied the face of her son. She spoke in a soft voice but with a firmness added to it that left little room for debate:

"No. That's not how it works. You've been very brave but it's time for you to say goodbye now."

Those words seemed to take some time to sink in. Her tone was very much that of a mother addressing her child. This wasn't something that could be argued about although there was no malice in the statement. She was presenting facts. Had the boy decided to argue, she had little doubt that the woman would have raised her voice, scolding him if necessary. Thankfully, her son was many things but not confrontational. Adrien lowered his head but said nothing. He must have known, as she did that there was little chance of him getting some manner of a celestial reprieve. His friend felt her heart twinge somewhat as she stood there. She found herself thrown back to the rubble in the rain with Cat Noir in her arms and knowing that she was going to lose him. Her mouth remained shut however unwilling to interrupt whatever was passing between the two of them. In truth, she half expected the teen to vanish into a cloud of dust as he stood there, spirited away by some force which she couldn't even begin to comprehend.

Instead, he spent some moments like that, silent but pensive. He raised his gaze to meet his mother, a soft and somewhat teary expression marked his face. For all that he managed a smile, nodding slowly, as if he somehow understood everything all of a sudden. It was with that same look that he turned around to see her. There was a sorrowful acceptance there, not dissimilar to that which he had worn when he had passed away in her arms. Marinette found herself wanting to run. The pain of the loss had come flooding back to her, smashing away any brief relief that she had felt to have him back with her. A lump had begun to form in her throat as she realized just where all of this was going.

"That's it-" He muttered quietly looking down at his feet. "That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to but you couldn't hear me, could you?"

"No…" She managed to croak the word out despite the urge to cry becoming increasingly powerful. "I'm sorry."

"Doesn't matter. I just wanted to apologize, _Bugaboo_..."

The use of the nickname which had irritated her so much generated a laugh. It was mixed with a sob to such an extent that she found herself wondering if they could even identify it properly. To her ears, it was a pathetic sound. She would rather have liked to have sounded dignified, to remain collected and clear-headed for one final goodbye to her friend and partner. Instead, tears began to flow down her cheeks uncontrollably. She struggled with the urge not to break down and start screaming, begging for him not to go. The pain from the day before resurfaced in its integrity. If she was spared the horror of actually having the body in her arms. The knowledge that her friend was going to disappear again burned just as badly. She should have been taking advantage of these last few moments together to talk, perhaps even tell him how she felt given that she would almost certainly never get another chance. Instead, the pain of the loss which she knew was going to come overtook her. She was vaguely aware of Tikki hovering near her along with Nooroo, the ladybug kwami tried her best to comfort the teen, reminding her that this was a time to say "goodbye" and not to lament.

Not yet, there would be time for that later.

Listening was one thing but actually being capable of acting on it was another matter entirely. Even as Adrien approached, she found herself unable to quell her tears. He paused a few steps in front of her, looking down sympathetically but hesitating slightly as she did so. She raised her gaze to meet him, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to clear them. Blinking, she found herself simply staring at him, tears continuing to flow as sobs erupted from her unwillingly. It was with a soft and inviting smile that he calmly spoke:

"With your permission, princess..."

A nod was the only thing that the shaken teen was capable of mustering. Adrien appeared to have calmed down entirely, something which made the situation somewhat more bearable. Tentatively, he reached out and brushed her cheek, chasing away a few of the tears and drying the skin as he did so. That same gentle warmth was still there, very much pleasant. It lingered on her flesh for a few seconds. He did the same to the other, offering her a gentle smile. For some reason, she found herself returning it, a hiccup escaping her lips as she did so. She hesitated, trying to regain some sense of herself. Cat Noir opened his arms. She took a few shaky steps forwards, uncertain before rushing into them. He staggered backwards, only just managing to avoid falling. Resting her head against his chest, Marinette managed to banish some of the painful thoughts that had been plaguing her. Her thoughts became somewhat clearer as she rested, aware that their time was running out.

"I'm going to miss you..." She managed despite everything.

"I'll miss you too but don't let that rule your life, okay?" He looked away to her to the kwamis floating some way behind her. "You've got Tikki, Plagg and Nooroo to look after, as well as all of Paris."

"That's a lot… How am I supposed to do that without Cat Noir?" She asked closing her eyes as she rested against him.

"Oh… You'll find away. You're not alone. There's Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee. Besides-" Adrien cast his mother a brief glance, she nodded once confirming his thoughts. "I'm always going to be there for you."

She wished that she could have believed that. She wanted to with all of her heart. The notion that her friend wasn't going to leave her together was one that she wanted to hold onto. It wasn't the first time that she had heard such ideas. At some point, she might have dismissed it as wishful thinking. The living and the dead couldn't possibly interact. Once someone passed away, that was it. Standing here like this, in the arms of the person that she cared about, even if it was just a dream brought on by her own longing, there was no denying the warmth that she felt. Holding him a little more tightly, as if to confirm that he was still there. A part of her also hoped that it might be able to tell him how much he had meant to her, something that she wasn't sure that she was going to have the strength to do.

"Do-" She took a deep breath in an attempt to fight the pain from the lump in her throat. "Do you think we'll see each other again?"

"You will eventually..." It was his mother who answered for him. "Everything has its time."

"Yeah…" He laughed quietly, some pain shining through. "Try not to make it too soon, okay?"

"I'll try." A promise she intended to try and keep, no matter how hard it might prove to be. She hesitated, words unspoken threatening to spill over. "Adrien..."

"Hm?"

"You know that I- I, um..." Even now, despite everything, the words struggled to come as the heat rose to her cheeks.

Any other attempts that she might have made were cut short as he placed a brief but tentative kiss on her forehead. It only lasted a few seconds. It was enough to cause the heat to rise to her cheeks and her entire body to tense up for a split second, surprised by the mark of affection. It wasn't much. If he had read her mind or simply guessed from her words, she didn't know. She didn't know whether it hurt or not, knowing that nothing else could ever come from it and that the boy she had spent so long pining over was going to leave now to some place she couldn't follow him. At least, he knew. She told herself, after so long dancing around, she'd finally managed to let him know or maybe he always had, she wasn't about to ask. Gently, he pushed her away, taking a step back himself so as to put some definitive distance between them. It was time to go, she knew that. They both did. Something in the air had changed, what had to be said had been said, now he had to move on.

His attention fell on Plagg, his partner for so long. There were no words exchanged between kwami and former holder, only a knowing smile. It spoke of all of those months of companionship. The trouble caused, the cheese consumed and the strange friendship which had formed. The avatar of destruction made his way over to his holder, giving him one last show of affection, resting against his cheek for a few seconds. His response was to playfully flick the small creature, it wasn't enough to hurt him, more a gesture of affection. Watching the two of them, Marinette wondered just how many Cat Noirs he had seen come and go. Was it even possible to become accustomed to such farewells? Tikki too must have said goodbye to more than one Ladybug in her time. It made her feel almost childlike in the scheme of things. A few seconds of goodbyes later and Adrien was walking away once more, he did so taking small baby steps towards his mother. It was difficult for her to watch. Instinct screamed at her to chase after him, to try desperately to prevent him from leaving. There was a voice in her head, a nagging one which said that everything wasn't quite done yet. Silently and desperately she searched, wondering what business remained between the two of them aware that the sands of time had almost run out. It hit her like a ton of bricks. There was something left. Something very important...

"Cat Noir!"

"I've got to go Marinette..." The regret behind his slightly trembling voice was clear, he paused none-the-less glancing at her over his shoulder.

"I know but-" She held out her fist, closed, waiting for him. "Pound it?"

"Ha!" A gentle chuckle escaped his lips. "Pound it..."

It was a somewhat less dynamic fistbump than either of them were accustomed to. Slow and calculated, aware that this would be their last. As their fists connected, she found herself reliving every defeated akuma and victory they had achieved. Every life saved and joyful celebration came back in those few moments. She looked up to her friend's face, a gentle and somewhat teasing grin had graced his lips, for a moment, she found herself faced with a familiar figure clad in black. That teasing smile, the knowledge that they had won another fight, it returned in those few instants. _We were good, weren't we?_ He seemed to be saying to her. She could only smile in response. Cat Noir and Ladybug had definitely been something which Paris wouldn't forget for quite some time. She would see to it that her partner's name was neither lost nor tarnished now that he wouldn't be around to defend it. Finally he pulled away. She brought her hand back, holding it against her as if it had just been blessed.

She watched in silence as Adrien approached his mother. The woman waited patiently. Her eyes softened however, her face showing more emotion than it had done previously. There was love there but also sympathy, realizing how difficult this would have been for him. The teen stopped just in front of her, hesitating now as the last little step remained to be taken. His gaze was focused solely on her, unblinking. From where she was standing, Marinette thought that she could make out him shaking, no doubt from nerves as he stood there. Even now, self-preservation seemed to be having an effect. He knew what going forwards would mean and some part of him desperately wanted to stay here, to be with his friends and to continue on in the world of the living. It was a lot for him to give up. The uncertainty of what lay ahead also played its part, causing him to linger there indecisively. He let out soft sound, something of a whimper. He looked to her, pleading for some manner of assistance. She held out her hand, taking a step forwards seemed to be beyond her power as was taking a hold of him, all she could do was offer encouragement:

"You can do it baby..."

He gasped, his entire body tensing up. He looked more as if he was preparing to jump off of a diving board than he did about to take a single step forwards. It was with a final deep breath that he finally took the leap. He went sailing past the woman's hand, ignoring it. Instead, he launched himself straight into her. The impact was enough to push her back, evidently struggling to maintain her balance. She didn't quite topple over however bracing herself as her son latched onto her. His grip on her was tight, it was hard to conceive of how she could be breathing such was the firmness of his embrace. He held onto her as if she was the only thing still keeping him here in this place. Emilie appeared startled, unsure how to react. It took a few seconds for her to slowly wrap her arms around the teen, holding him close. He buried his head against her. It took Marinette a few seconds to take note of the few tears flowing down his cheeks, they seemed to catch in the golden light he was now surrounded by like diamonds.

Tentatively, the woman ran a hand through his mop of blonde hair. She told him that it was okay, muttering quiet words of reassurance. For all that, Adrien didn't relinquish his hold. The woman rested her chin on top of his head. The human and kwami spectators watched in silence, unwilling to move least they disturb the who. Pain at his loss or simply joy at the reunion, Marinette couldn't have said which had been the one to provoke his tears. The tenderness with which his mother treated him did seem to soothe some of his troubles though. There was something about her attitude and composure which spoke of this being natural to her, Despite the amount of time they had been separated, it was as if this was how they had always been. As painful as the knowledge that her friend would be gone soon was, Marinette couldn't help but feel some of the warmth from their connection.

"I've missed you..."

"So have I but there's not a day that's gone by that I haven't been proud of you, you know that? You're my little hero."

He pulled away slightly at that comment. The distance between them allowed him to look up into her face. Through watery eyes, he contemplated the features of a woman he had assumed he would never see again. She brushed some of the hair which had become ruffled by his rush out from his face. He closed his eyes as her hands tentatively brushed his tears away, banishing them from his cheeks. They lingered there for a moment, as she seemingly contemplated her son. It took him a few moments to regain some self-control. Letting out a sniffle, he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. A gentle smile was given, one which his mother returned. She kept her hands on his shoulders, not to ensure that he wouldn't run but rather to let him know that he wasn't alone. A few moments later, he managed to nod slowly. It was a simple message, one which required no words.

 _I'm ready._

Another more gentle hug was given this time as the golden light began to envelop the pair. The panic and fear was gone, replaced simply with love and the comfort of proximity from one another. Slowly, they both began to fade, their bodies becoming increasingly transparent as they stood there. A sorry smile made its way onto Marinette's face. Once more, she found tears beginning to sting at the corner of her eyes. As bitter as the pain of losing him again was, something felt different this time. There was something about the way that she saw her friend in his mother's arms: the gentleness, the comfort, in short the love which existed between them and that they had been forced to exist separately for so long. Finally, the two of them were reunited. They were together again… That tender affection which was so evident in all of those photos that the boy cherished could once more be felt between them. He had been willing to break the laws of nature to see her again, now, some power somewhere had decided that the two of them deserved to be reunited.

Adrien turned to face her, his mother's arms still draped around his shoulders, holding him against her. With every passing second, he was fading, finally leaving this world. Most of the lower part of his body had vanished. He gave her a smile, the likes of which she had never quite seen from him. It wasn't a cocky grin the likes of which Cat Noir would almost certainly have sported but neither was it entirely sad, she couldn't quite place it. He raised his hand, palm open to the sky. A second later, he gave her a wave. It was a slow motion, gentle and sedate. For some reason, it generated a laugh from the teenage girl. The sound was mixed with a sob as some more tears made their way down her face. She couldn't stop her smile though as she waved back, shouting out loudly, forgetting that notionally the rest of her household were still asleep:

"Goodbye!"

They faded away slowly, in silence. The golden light lingered, shining down from some unseen source above her window, bathing the whole room in a beautiful glow. A pleasant warmth seemed to be circulating as a breeze got up. It was like a whirlwind, gaining intensity as it went. Thankfully, it stopped short of actually causing any damage, being only enough to whip her hair around and blow some of the papers from her desk. The kwamis however were somewhat more bothered, holding onto the sleeves of her pyjamas to avoid being blown away. The figures had vanished, magicked away by some unseen force. She trusted them to be happy wherever they found themselves right now. It was as she closed her eyes, sniffling as she brushed away her tears for what felt like the hundredth time that night that she felt a familiar presence. It was only for a second, had she opened her eyelids she fancied it would have vanished.

 _"Goodbye, milady..."_

A final goodbye. It hurt every bit as much as she had imagined that it would. Even when he had been lying in her arms, so obviously dying and trying his best to speak, using the last few ounces of his strength to force out a pitiful few syllables which were lost on her and all those gathered around, she wasn't sure that it had struck her in quite the same way. That night had been terrible but right up until the last few seconds, even when she knew full-well that he had passed away, she had refused to believe that it was real. He was gone a second later. The light and warmth vanished, leaving her in her bedroom alone. She didn't respond, instead, she drifted down to her knees. Her arms wrapped around herself, holding on. The tears were still there. She suspected that they would be her companion for some time to come. There was something new now however. She could have mistaken it for acceptance where up until then a part of her had screamed out that it was unjust and couldn't be true. Even after she had watched his body covered up with a white sheet being carried away, there had been a part of her which had refused to believe that he was gone.

Now she knew that he was. There would be no more hanging around school corridors hoping for a glimpse of her crush. Equally her night time escapades with Cat Noir would come to an end. She couldn't even begin to imagine the scale of the hole both activities were going to leave in her life. He was resting though and that piece of knowledge came as a form of relief that she couldn't quite comprehend as she knelt there. Adrien had never been the happiest soul on Earth. There had always been some strange sadness hidden behind those green orbs of his. A mixture of the pain of losing his mother and the distance he was forced to maintain with his father were no doubt partly to blame. That last smile he'd given her lingered in her mind as she tried to comprehend just what he had meant by it. Slowly, it began to dawn on her, allowing her troubled soul to settle down ever so slightly.

She couldn't have said just how long she spent like that: on her knees, struggling to regain some sense of herself. Finally, she managed to speak. Her question was directed towards Tikki, trusting that the kwami would have some words of wisdom to offer her:

"He's happy now, isn't he?"

"Honey?"

Her eyes shot open instantly as she recognised the voice. Strangely, she didn't instantly recognise her surroundings, despite how familiar they were to her. Instead of the wooden panels of the floorboards at her knees, she found herself wrapped in cotton sheets. Panic was her instinctive response, lashing out in an attempt to free herself from them. A gentle but firm set of hands prevented her from doing so. Blue eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for anything and anyone which would help herself identify just where she was. It took a few seconds for her breathing to slow as she began to make sense of where she was. She hadn't moved far, in fact, she was still in her bedroom. Nothing seemed to have moved, apart from her. Rather than on the floor, she was somewhere both soft and pleasantly warm. Her gaze shifted round to see who was currently holding her in place, not roughly, just enough to ensure that she didn't unintentionally hurt herself in her panic.

For a moment, she thought that it was Adrien. Her eyes quickly came back into focus however as she found herself faced with both of her parents' concerned faces. Her mother relaxed her grip on the teen's arms when she was convinced that the girl was slightly calmer. Slowly, Marinette sat up, looking around as if she'd never seen the room before. She hadn't been here… She'd been down there. She had no memory of getting back into bed or it turning to daylight either. Confused, she looked to the only two sources of comfort available to her, the kwamis having hidden instinctively. Still somewhat dazed, she blurted out before being able to think better of it:

"I had a dream- Adrien… He was with his mom..."

"It's normal..." Her mother told her, hesitating slightly as she glanced to her her husband for a moment. "You're still in shock and you'll be missing him."

"This was… Very real..." Marinette fixed her sheets, crumpling them in her hands before looking up to him. "Did I wake you?"

"Wake us? No…" Tom assured her, managing a slight smile. "It's midday, we just wanted to check if you were okay and see if you wanted some lunch."

Midday, already? That seemed to make everything she had just experienced impossible. Many things had happened but she couldn't imagine that many hours could have passed without her noticing. Shaking slightly, she rubbed her eyes. There was some sleep there which she was quick to get rid of. As the seconds trickled by, she felt increasingly like she had just been woken up from a deep sleep. The drowsiness seemed to be settling in now, leaving her once more confused, unsure where she was or just what was real. It was all blurring together, becoming tangled with events from her past. Could she really have dreamt it all up? Where was Tikki? She would know. Her parents shifted somewhat uneasily, exchanging uncertain glances before slowly, making their way back towards the ladder:

"We'll give you some time… Come down whenever you feel like it." Tom declared as he picked up a small box from her bedside. "At least you managed a macaron."

The comment caused her head to snap around in a split second. The motion went unnoticed by her parents who were out of the door a few moments later. She could only stare at where they had disappeared. Her brain had momentarily ceased functioning. It was only about a minute later when her eyes drifted back to where the cakes had lay just the night before. The box had been carried away, leaving her with no way to possibly check. Stunned, the teen simply sat in her bed. She ran the events over again and again in her mind, struggling to make even the slightest bit of sense from them. She knew that she should probably have tried to make some more sense of it all but her mind refused to cooperate with her, leaving her frozen. Even Tikki's presence didn't quite register as the kwami came out from hiding.

It was only when the small creature rested on her shoulder that she finally managed to gather together the presence of mind to ask:

"Tikki… What was that-?"

"Just a friend-" The creature replied in a soft voice. "Saying goodbye..."


	6. Remembered

**_Author's note: Final chapter here. I was hoping to get it out for Bastille day but the football world cup will have to do. Thanks again for all of the reviews._**

 ** _/_**

A gentle warmth came from the spring sunshine. The blossoms decorated the trees. Their fresh blooms created a pleasant aroma which drifted across the park. The leaves shifted as they blew in the gentle wind. Here, the sounds of the city seemed to be distant, they barely even made up a background noise. It was as if this place was somehow cut off from the rest of the world. It offered a rare tranquillity which was almost impossible to find anywhere else. The serenade of the surrounding birds was the only thing which disturbed the silence, giving the place the feel of somewhere out of time. It seemed to both be unaffected by it, as a place which felt as if it could have been found in the 17th century and also where minutes passing by meant nothing. Everything seemed to blur together to create this strange place, The atmosphere somehow suited it. After all, this was where the living met the dead.

Feet padded along the cobbled path amongst the tombstones. Curiously, it wasn't the best maintained of all of the places in the city. She had grown accustomed to the uneven ground and weeds sprouting up in-between the stones. By the sides of the path were several tombstones and mausoleums. Some were recent, many were ancient, a few were centuries old. Their stones were cracked, the letters faded with the years. Moss had begun to grow over the stones and structures. It was as if nature itself was beginning to reclaim its rights, gradually encroaching on the ancient graveyard. She knew that the city took care of the area, from time to time, she would encounter a gardener. They were quiet, respectful, ensuring that the place was kept clean of litter and that the shrubs and ivy didn't completely take hold and make the area impracticable.

Today though, relatively early in the morning, the cemetery was empty. The early morning sun made its way through the leaves and branches. Beams of light shone down, casting rays of light on the tombstones. It would almost certainly be a hot day later on. For the time being however, a jacket was required to protect against the gentle breeze.

A teenage girl of 15-16 years of age walked sedately through the place. Her pace was steady, neither rushing nor dragging her feet. A slight smile lingered in the corner of her mouth, pleasant and gentle: that of someone content with life. It was only her eyes which spoke of something else: there was a somewhat grave and solemn which lay just behind them, hidden, something for only her to know. Her attention was focused more on the ground that it was where she was going. She seemed to be able to drift along without looking. A regular visitor no doubt. The paths and rows of headstones which could seem so maze-like to some, offered her no trouble as she navigated them without difficulty. Two red roses were clutched loosely in her left hand, fresh from the florists this morning. They were perfect, beautiful. With no one there to witness her, she passed unnoticed through the gravestones.

Her destination was a small clearing. There were fewer trees here, allowing the sun to shine down brightly on two grave stones. Both were made out of black marble, the names still freshly chiselled on stood out highlighted by golden lettering. The headstones were simple, nobody could have mistaken them for anything other than what they were. Unlike some of those which surrounded them, they were immaculately clean, despite the passing seasons, something which could no doubt be attributed to the fact that they were both relatively new and were still well-maintained by the visitors who came to pay their respects. Despite that, it was rare that the teen would ever encounter anyone else before the stones. Sometimes, she might come accompanied but very few came here alone for the purpose of mourning the two individuals who rested here.

Today, however, was the exception.

Blue eyes darted up, finding themselves faced with the figure of a tall and thin woman. She was standing rigidly in front of the graves, fixing them listlessly with a remorseful gaze. Her eyes were dry, no tears had been shed. Whether or not the woman was even capable of them was something which the teen didn't know. The woman hadn't noticed her, too absorbed her own thoughts and memories to take notice of the fact that she wasn't alone. The teenager stopped dead, hesitating uncertainly as she lingered in the pathway. She hadn't anticipated finding anyone else here, much less this person in particular. It had been a year after all. A reunion was never something that she had sought out given that they were almost complete strangers with only one terrible event to link the two of them together. Looking around, she searched for some place where she might be able to shelter until the older woman saw it fit to leave. Reasoning that a nearby oak tree would likely be as good as anything (it wasn't as if she would be on high alert in place like this), the girl took a step towards it.

The sound of a loud crack under her foot seemed to be amplified by the natural silence of the cemetery. That single few seconds worth of noise echoed around. The teen cursed under her breath. Of course there would be a branch there. She looked back towards the other woman on the off-chance that she had somehow not heard the sound. As expected, she found the other's attention directed right at her. Both were frozen, one was a deer in the headlights, the other the driver of the car. Too startled to speak, the older of the two could only stare, evidently she hadn't been expecting a visitor at such a relatively early hour. A tranquil moment made awkward by their shared history such as it was, both struggled to decide on the best course of action, trapped between fight, flight or acceptance.

For a moment, it looked like the older of the two might be about to back down and relinquish her position in front of the graves. Uneasy, the teenager had begun to take a few steps towards the two headstones and her initial destination. She approached wearily, cautious of what the other's reaction might be. The woman turned slightly, as if she were about to leave. She hesitated however, lingering there as she watched the other approach. There was no hostility, no dark looks or questioning as to just what she was doing here. Finally, the younger came over so that she was standing in front of the burials. Still, the other remained present, not letting the teen out of her sight. Instead, she watched as the girl came to face the two of them and contemplated the polished stones and the names engraved on them. It took a little bit longer for them both to relax. They maintained a distance between one another.

The peace settled back in as they stood there. The bird song which almost seemed to have paused for a while started again. Whilst they didn't forget about the other's presence, it was no longer a cause for concern. The awkwardness which lingered was soon forgotten, replaced instead by a calmness. Something about the tranquillity of this place was infectious. Any anger and resentment vanished. It could have been respect for those who were departed, particularly the two who now rested just before them which caused hostilities to become far removed from their thoughts. In-between the headstones was a photo in an ornate metal frame. It seemed to link the two as the image of a proud mother and son glinted as the glass caught the beams of light still shining down through the branches. The color hadn't faded despite the year's worth of sun it had been exposed to. Mother and son, smiled gently, looking back at those who now contemplated their image. A sure sign of the love which had existed between the two of them.

Kneeling down slowly, so that she only touched the very edge where the path turned to dirt and grass, she reached out. A rose for each of the graves. They had been positioned very close together, an effort to reunite mother and son. There were often flowers here. Usually a single bouquet was positioned between the two of them, the flowers would change but not once had she ever seen them withered or even looking remotely sorry. For months, the teen had wondered who was responsible. It wasn't an official offering given the city's policy (following the request of Ladybug) of trying to ensure this remained a peaceful place for the pair to rest as opposed to a tourist destination and none of her classmates or other acquaintances had admitted to dropping off the expensive gift on such a regular basis. Now she felt that she might have her answer.

The teenager cast her companion the briefest of glances. The woman remained standing straight and tall, always so formal, her attention focused solely on the graves. Torn, the younger of the two allowed the silence to linger for a while longer, afraid that any attempt at communication would risk disturbing the fragile peace which existed here. From time to time, her gaze would drift back to the woman, trying to analyse her expression in an attempt to make out just what she was thinking. Unfortunately, she seemed to have a poker face which many of the gambling world's finest would long for, making reading her thoughts a virtual impossibility. Although still uncertain, pushed by a mixture of genuine curiosity and an unwillingness to let the rather uneasy silence continue, the teen managed tentatively:

"How's life?"

"It- continues… I suppose."

A simple answer but one which she managed to read a fair amount into. She could relate. Even a year on, the loss sometimes weighed more heavily on her mind that she had ever imagined it could. It was little things as much as the large hole which she had been left in her life. Walking up the few steps to school, she would instinctively look around for the limousine ready to drop off her friend. His seat had never been claimed by another, leaving an empty space in the classrooms which nobody knew how – nor particularly wanted – to fill. With every week, she would notice something else. The pain hadn't quite gone away, she doubted that it ever would but increasingly she was finding it easier to live with. It was something which would be with her until the end of her days now, she suspected. For the woman who had spent a large portion of her life in the presence of the teen and watched him grow up, the suffering must have been bad as well. She had never known just what sort of a relationship existed between Adrien and his father's assistant but something about the woman said that she cared somewhat more for the boy than she let on.

The woman let out a heavy sigh, her eyes focused solely on the more recent tombstone. The knowledge of just who lay beneath it was enough to bring back powerful memories, both good and bad. It was a little under a year ago that they had both last stood here together, not by side by side but at least in proximity to one another. It had been raining as a casket had been laid to rest for the last time in the ground before those gathered to pay their last respects. Marinette's cheeks were as dry as Nathalie's had been that day. She had thought that she would cry more a year after they had lost her friend, crush and partner. There was some pain there, just as there always was whenever she paid a visit to him here but as she was finding increasingly these days, she was able to bear it to an ever greater extent.

The former secretary of Gabriel Agreste fidgeted for a moment before speaking in a quietly, rushing her words slightly so as to explain herself as quickly as possible, somewhat nervous:

"I'm sorry, I'd thought that I might avoid you, coming this early in the morning."

"It's not a problem." Marinette shook her head slowly. "Do you come here often?"

She'd never seen the woman in this place before not since Adrien had been laid to rest. Perhaps she had presumed that she would want to move on with her life and forget about all things to do with Hawk Moth and miraculouses. In order to do that, she would have to cut ties completely with her past. Apparently it wasn't something that the woman had been prepared to do, at least not yet. She hadn't bothered to keep track of Nathalie much after the first couple of months, initially, there had been some fear that she and Gorilla might try to take up their employer's former illicit activities but those concerns had proved to be unfounded. The last she'd heard the woman was working as a temp in a local office and Adrien's former bodyguard as a bouncer. She didn't know what exactly Gabriel Agreste had told the officials about their involvement in his operations but given that both had managed to escape jail time, she reasoned that he must have covered for them, just as she herself had been little more than a "guest" that night at the Agreste's mansion.

The woman's gaze drifted away from the stones for a few moments. It travelled around the park they found themselves in, not settling on anything but rather drifting around, taking in the sights and the tranquillity which it offered. This place was a sanctuary from the outside world and a place where they could let bygones be bygones. She took a deep breath of the warm spring morning's air, inhaling the pleasant scent of the flowers as she did so. She let the breath out as a sigh, heavy but also accepting:

"Probably not as often as I should." Her eyes returned to rest on the picture of the boy whom she had spent so much time looking after one way or another. "I make the journey for Mr. Agreste and sometimes to find some peace."

It wasn't quite an answer but it was enough of one to allow Marinette to read in-between the lines. She could understand the woman's position. She looked at the woman sympathetically, feeling some genuine pity for her. There was a question which she dared not ask but allowed herself none-the-less to wonder during those few moments as they stood there together: did Nathalie blame herself? Perhaps not for everything which had happened but at least some part of it. She had stalled them, caused the heroes to lost precious minutes of their time and Adrien to grow ever weaker. Whether or not they could have saved him if they had had a few seconds more was something which nobody wanted to ponder, it would drive them insane she had been told by her parents, upon expressing the concern that she hadn't done enough that night. It was a terrible thought which she tried to repress as much as she could. The teen hesitated, unsure whether or not to try comforting the woman, assuring her that Adrien would have been happy that she came here. She was paying her respects, he would appreciate that. The teen held off however, unsure how the stiff and cooly distant person would react. It was easy to imagine that she would be given short shrift by the former secretary.

Glancing around, she attempted to ensure that they were indeed alone. The park was as empty as it had been when she had first entered it. They should be alright if they were quick, she reasoned. Reaching down carefully, she opened her handbag, allowing two small creatures to pop their heads out. They also inspected their surroundings. She knew full-well that they weren't oblivious to their surroundings in there and could at the very least hear what was going on, for that reason neither were surprised by the presence of Nathalie. They did however prefer to check for themselves before leaving the safety of her purse and venturing out into the world. Once sure that the coast was clear both were quick to take advantage of their freedom. Cat Noir shot out like a bullet, rushing over to the former secretary. The woman, startled, took a step back before regaining some of her signature composure. After all, she wasn't entirely a stranger to this kind of thing. The small black cat gave the woman a big grin, floating so close to her nose that she became boss-eyed trying to look at him.

"Still no smile I see..." Plagg declared after some consideration of the woman.

"You're Adrien's kwami, aren't you?" She frowned, despite the presence of the strange creature.

"Yeah..." The small black cat's ears dipped back slightly at the words. "I was..."

Introductions over, Plagg headed back over to Marinette. The girl reached into her purse, pulling out a small piece of paper towel. The odour alone was enough to clue most people in to just what was hidden within. Even from where she was standing, Nathalie's nose wrinkled with disgust as the stench reached her nostrils. Despite the foul smell, the teen managed to keep a straight face as she cautiously unwrapped the parcel revealing a smelly piece of runny cheese. The kwami was quick to fly over, picking it up. Tikki settled on her miraculous holder's shoulder. It was with the sense of decorum and seriousness that the Camembert was carried by the creature towards the teen's grave. It looked so well-planned and ritualized that the former secretary found herself wondering if they had been rehearsing. She didn't question just why Adrien – who had never been overly fond of even the most innocuous of cheeses – would want such a thing placed on his tomb. It almost seemed like an insult. On the other hand, despite the fact that she couldn't recall ever seeing him eat any of the stuff, she did remember him frequently ordering it, even going so far as to steal it from the kitchens.

The kwami placed the cheese down on the stone as if it were some great offering. He allowed it to rest there, patting it gently. Next to the rose, it looked out of place. Marinette only smiled in response to the woman's quizzical look. A year of living with the avatar of destruction had taught her to appreciate just how much such a gift meant coming from Plagg. This was their own little ceremony, a remembrance away from the crowds. They would be gathering already no doubt for the anniversary of Cat Noir's death… Some had demanded the Panthéon, other the Invalides. It had been Ladybug and her friends who had requested that he be laid to rest here. As impossible as it was to know, she reasoned that he would have been happiest here, by his mother's side as opposed to under the constant gaze of the public. In the scheme of things, very few people were willing to come out of their way to visit him here. It allowed them some silence and time to reflect. Plagg stared at the shiny and polished marble stone. He rested a paw against it, as if he were reaching out to touch the teen whom he had once called his partner:

"We miss ya' kid..." Muttered the kwami as he rested there.

Silence settled in once more, allowing them to remember the moments spent with him: good and bad. Marinette had learned not to focus too much on that terrible night they had lost him. It wasn't easily done. With the passing months however, she had been able to filter through her memories which were no longer blocked out solely by the pain of his death. His final smile, even if it was a dream, would sometimes appear to her, shining through and reminding her just how much of a good friend and kind person Adrien Agreste had been. As such, they spent some time there, their heads lowered, not speaking. No words needed to be exchanged between any of them. The peacefulness of the spring morning was enough to calm their spirits, somehow sending them backwards in time to over a year ago. A part of them, no doubt hoping that somehow, out there somewhere, their lost loved-one would sense that they were thinking of him and take some comfort from the knowledge that he hadn't been forgotten.

Time seemed to lose its importance in those few moments. The breeze was pleasant and the gradually growing heat barely even registered. It was Tikki who first became somewhat restless, shifting slightly. The small motion proved to be enough to begin to bring her back from the world of her own thoughts she had voluntarily retreated to. She knew that she couldn't spend too long in the past, she belonged in the present and at least part of her attention needed to be focused towards the future. She bid the memories farewell for a little while as she forced herself to return to the world of the living. She found the woman's attention to be focused on her. Nathalie spoke formally, as if she were addressing her employer:

"You're going to be late for the ceremony..."

"Yeah… Yeah, I know..."

She had the best part of half of Paris to cross and a large crowd waiting for her, not to mention three of her friends and the mayor himself. If she wasn't usually the most reliable person in the world when it came to keeping track of time, today would be an exception. There was no way that she was going to allow herself to be late. A few seconds later, her phone went off, it's alarm set the day before informing her that she would need to get a move on. It was with a sigh that she turned away from the graves, uttering a phrase she knew well as she allowed the transformation to envelop her. A few seconds later, it was Ladybug as opposed to Marinette who was standing there. Plagg turned his attention back to her. He approached aware that it was time to move on to their next destination. She would miss the sedate and somewhat otherworldly stillness of this place. She gave it one last glance. Her eyes instinctively came back to focus on Nathalie.

She was still standing there, straight and business-like just as she had done on the rare occurrences that they had paid Adrien a visit at his home. She waited in silence, no doubt intending to see the hero off. Marinette's attention flashed back towards the rest of the city, aware that she needed to be going. Something caused her to hesitate, to linger just for a moment. It was a voice at the back of her mind, one which convinced her that there was something yet to be done. Her mouth hung open slightly, knowing what she wanted to say but unsure how to phrase it all together. For a moment, she contemplated leaving, figuring that the uncertainty would fade with some distance. She stopped herself however deciding to go through with what that part of her was demanding that she do. Turning round, she offered the woman her hand:

"Come with me?"

The woman blinked rapidly, eyes wide as she struggled to process just what was being suggested to her. Her eyes drifted down to the hand extended towards her. Ladybug could sweep her over the rooftops easily, getting her to the ceremony in a matter of minutes, faster than any car could possibly navigate the city. It would be no trouble at all. Seconds drifted past as she contemplated the offer. Whether it was genuine reflection or Gabriel Agreste's former assistant simply didn't want to hurt her feelings she couldn't have said. Whatever the case was, she didn't refuse outright which caused Marinette to wonder… When she noticed the way that the woman turned around to look back at the graves once more, she felt that she knew just what her response would be before she even spoke it:

"Thank you…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes fixed the image of the smiling boy and his mother. "But I think I'll stay here for a while."

The answer came as little surprise. She hadn't really been expecting the woman to consent to come along and most definitely wasn't about to drag her there by force. She would be just as aware as the teen was that her presence at the event might not be desired, even as a part of the crowd trying her best to blend in, there was a chance that someone might recognise her and the end result would be some unnecessary strife. For her own safety, as well as to ensure that the service went off peacefully so as to be able to honour the young man it was dedicated to, she wouldn't come. That had never been on the cards. Hence why she was here at such an early time in the morning. Paying her respects here as she couldn't elsewhere. The gesture however spoke more than any amount of words ever could: there was no bad blood between them, no hatred or resentment.

Whatever part she had played in the events that had taken Adrien Agreste from the world, Ladybug didn't hold it against Nathalie Sancoeur.

Marinette hesitated a second, wondering what the appropriate reaction would be. Eventually, she opted for a simple gesture: a smile and a slight nod, confirming that she understood. It took the woman a moment to do the same, adding a very small bow. Enough to show some respect, acknowledgement of what had been done. She was gone a second later. The hero of Paris took to the sky, her yo-yo enabling her to swing along and disappear into the distance within a matter of moments. Nathalie watched her until there was nothing left to follow. Even then, her attention remained fixed on the buildings in the distance, as if hoping for one last glimpse of the superhero. The smile lingered even as she turned back towards the grave stones, her eyes resting on the picture of the photo.

"Your friends are doing just fine, Adrien."

She was met by silence, something she was used to here. Somewhere though, she liked to think that the young man she had watched grow up would hear.

The crowds had gathered in front of the park where the mansion of the Agreste family had once stood. The building had been torn down. The structural damage was perhaps not enough in itself to justify the destruction. The bad memories the place had contained however seemed to make it worth while. There had been little objection to destroying the once grand house, erasing it and its walls from the face of the city. In its place now stood a small park, more of a public garden than anything else. It had become a well-frequented spot, not only for the impressive amount of flowers which could be found there but also for what the site had come to represent in both the eyes of the city's inhabitants and even those of the world. For the people who had known Adrien however, it remained a rather poignant place to stand. Unlike the cemetery, this was a place which Marinette usually avoided. It brought back only bad memories of that night in the rain. She didn't like to think back to it. Sometimes, it was almost as if she could still feel him in her arms struggling to get his last breaths.

Today was the exception to the rule however. Several hundred people stood before a stage which had been erected, complete with speakers worthy of one of Jagged Stone's concerts. There was something of a solemn atmosphere which reigned over all those present. Some cameras had also made an appearance, unwilling to miss any of the event. The reporters stood there, commenting about the large numbers present and reminding all those watching about the events which had lead up to the ceremony. Ladybug landed silently, behind the stage and safely out of sight of those gathered. She found her three friends waiting for her, already transformed. She was greeted by some faint smiles. They were gentle and genuinely glad to see her but there was no hiding the sadness behind them. They didn't ask her where she had been or what was the cause of her late arrival, already able to guess. She approached slowly, peering round the stage to glance at the crowd. Blue eyes searched for a few moments but failed to locate the figure she was looking for. Turning back to her friends, she decided to ask directly:

"Is he here?"

"Yeah." It was Alya who answered. "Everything's all ready."

She nodded once, it was one less thing to worry about. In the background, maire Bourgeois had already begun his speech. Already the words "pay respect to" had been uttered. They caused a stabbing pain in her chest, near her heart. It had been days that she had spent dreading this. Standing here, a part of her simply wanted for it all to be over. It wasn't the act so much as how publicized it was. All these people here, she was willing to accept that the vast majority were genuinely grieving for their fallen hero. Perhaps it was simply having the eyes of the city on her when she felt as fragile as she did right now. It was hard not to envision a situation where she could end up breaking down in front of the crowd and cameras. No, she would much rather that this be a private little ceremony, where she could grieve and pay her respects with friends and family only. There was no changing what it was, Paris wanted to "pay homage". Who was she to prevent them from doing so on account of her own wounds?

The signal was given. There had been no rehearsals but all groups knew more or less what was required of them. They were largely just to stand there. Their appearance was solemn, much like it had been on the day of his funeral. Ladybug hadn't been there that day, the pain was too great they said. Marinette had taken her place. A teen crying silently as she watched her friend be laid to rest. Now, she found herself here, a whole year later and feeling very much the same. The four heroes waited patiently for the speech to be finished. There were many familiar faces in the crowd, most of their classmates had come along as well as the numerous individuals who owed their lives to Ladybug and Cat Noir. Madame Bustier stood near to the heroes, a wreath of flowers held loosely in her hands.

As things continued, Marinette allowed her attention to drift back up to the statue which she had turned her back to. It had been erected almost exactly on the spot where Adrien had passed in the arms of his friend. Théo had done his work well. The face was handsome, if a little grave. She would quite have liked to see a smile there, the likes of which Cat Noir had so often sported. It had been decided otherwise. Instead, he was immortalized as standing tall and noble, both hands on his staff, looking out towards the rest of the city. There was a brass plaque at the base, telling all those just what had happened here and to whom they were owed a great debt. Inserted into the plaque was a photo of the young man without his mask, smiling sedately. Would he have wanted all this fuss? She honestly couldn't have said.

The speech came to an end, waking her from her thoughts. She was handed a wreath. One from the heroes of Paris, one from the mayor and one from the students and teachers of collège François Dupont. Each paying their respects in their own way. She turned around on cue, depositing the flowers at the foot of the statue. There was nothing but silence from the crowd. They stood with their heads low, showing both respect and reverence. It was hard to imagine what Chat Noir would have made of all of this, whilst he seemed to enjoy the limelight, it could all of have been an act. It was something they would never know, she guessed. Perhaps it was less the amount of people gathered here that should be focused on so much as the symbolism behind it. All of them had come to say thanks and pay their respects to the fallen hero. It showed just how many lives he had touched over a relatively short period.

They had had little option but to reveal to the world just who lay behind the mask of Cat Noir. For one, Gabriel in his hysteria had left them with little choice. She didn't know the exact nature of what had happened. All she knew for sure is that the man had cried out that he'd killed his son, that he was responsible for the death of the hero. At the time, she hadn't known. It had only been when she was preparing to go home, her parents leading her out, that a police officer had chased after her. The question had been quick, almost innocent, catching her completely off-guard. She had stammered, unable to get her thoughts together. Should she lie? There was a fear that they knew full-well who he was. Queen Bee had gone to get help for Cat Noir after all but it wasn't his body that had been recovered. There was only one person who had died there that night. The teen's confusion and lack of a coherent response had been taken as a confirmation. She hadn't bothered to deny it.

A small scene drew her attention towards the back of the crowd. It was so mundane that had she not been looking out for it, she would almost certainly have missed it. As it happened, by the time that she had spotted it, the action was almost over. A Chinese man had just been helped to his feet by an onlooker who had broken away to the crowd. Just how he had taken the tumble on such a flat surface was a mystery but he had definitely hit the ground with a thud. Once they were certain he was alright, they returned to where they had been standing. The old man contemplated them for a moment, scratching his beard thoughtfully, as if evaluating the action and its merits. He turned back towards Ladybug and gave a single nod of approval. Up there on the stage for the world to see, she couldn't afford to acknowledge him. Even a smile would be out of place. He would know that he had been seen. The pieces were now in motion.

Stalking was something she was bizarrely used to, not as a victim but more of a perpetrator. Much of her activities could however be labelled as necessary spying. It was part of the superhero life. As such, following this particular individual, fell into her important duties. It wasn't all that hard. They didn't expect Ladybug to be watching them and therefore didn't look for her. Unbeknown to them, they had been being stalked for weeks. There were many silent tests which had needed to be carried out. Marinette's opinion had been essential and she hadn't wanted to be responsible for a mistake, not when she knew what the cost of it would be. The past few weeks had confirmed as much as possible that the danger was minimal although they were all acutely aware that there was no 100% certainty that things couldn't go awry. Today's test seemed to point in a favourable direction however and gave her the courage to be rather more inclined to take a chance.

"What do you think?" Ladybug asked the kwami of the black cat as it floated next to her.

"It's not Adrien..."

Ladybug held back a sigh. She had been expecting Plagg to be… Difficult… The idea of finding a new holder hadn't appealed to him in the slightest. She'd wondered about him. Not wanting to question the kwami to his face, she had instead turned to Tikki. Surely, she had reasoned, given the nature of the creatures which inhabited the miraculouses, this couldn't be the first time that a Cat Noir had fallen in battle. If nothing else, they must have seen literally dozens of their holders come and go as the centuries passed. Finding a new person to partner with must have been almost routine for them. Adrien was different it would seem. Despite their differences, the black cat genuinely had cared for the boy he had spent the past month with. He was hurting more than many of them had assumed that he would. It made the idea of a "replacement" seem like a betrayal to him. She didn't want to push him into a new partnership if he wasn't ready. These past few months he had brightened up enough for them to slowly start to put some more effort into finding a new owner for the ring. Marinette had remained cautious however. If nothing else, she wasn't sure that she felt comfortable subjecting the poor kid to an unwilling kwami. Her own experience with him over the past twelve months had caused her to realize just how different the avatars of creation and destruction were from one another. Adrien must have had the patience of a saint.

He contemplated the proposed "replacement" from afar, his green eyes cold and critical, ready to find the slightest fault. He was tense, almost angry at the mere suggestion that he be forced to partner with this new individual. Before Marinette could suggest calling the whole thing off and talking about it calmly back home, the kwami suddenly relaxed. He let out a heavy sigh, turning back to face her:

"-But they probably deserve a chance."

She smiled softly, understanding just what it meant coming from the kwami. Strangely enough, despite the fact that he'd been something of a pain at times, the idea of bidding farewell to Plagg (or at least handing him over to another) was something which she wasn't looking forwards to in the slightest. It would mean saying goodbye to one of the very few things of Adrien which she actually had, as well as the memory of her partnership with Cat Noir. Their bond had seemed almost sacred at times, it was hard to conceive that she would ever have that same amount of trust with another individual. She was going to have to try however, Master Fu had reasoned with her, for the sake of balance, the world needed both Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Still, as she discretely slipped the old wooden box into the teen's bag before making a quick and silent getaway, she felt her heart twinge slightly. She whispered a silent farewell to the kwami, aware that it wasn't necessarily impossible that they would be able to talk again in the future. She could only hope that Adrien would approve of her decision. The new Cat Noir would most definitely have some rather big shoes to fill. A daunting task but they wouldn't be alone when it came to facing the challenge. Ladybug, Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee had all agreed to watch out for their newest ally and to ensure that they found their feet quickly enough. Things would be just fine, they would have to be…

The sun was beginning to set by the time that there was a flash of light in a small parisien bedroom and a kwami manifested itself to its new (and very surprised) partner. Marinette watched with a soft smile from atop a neighbouring building, peering in and watching as the new Cat Noir was born. They were surprised, evidently uncertain. She would give them some time to get used to everything before heading over to greet them, no sense in startling the kid more than they already were. She knew from personal experience that it could take quite some time to wrap your head around the world of miraculouses and superpowers. She and her friends had been forced to adapt quickly due to akumas. Thankfully the world was a good deal calmer now, they could afford to take things slowly. She watched carefully, studying their reaction with a certain amount of amusement, remembering when she had been in a similar situation.

As she sat there atop a rooftop, a certain amount of relaxation settled in. The warm air and golden sunset made the city seem alive, basking in a beautiful glow. There was a feeling of comfort which she allowed herself to indulge in. She forgot about her concerns and any notion that this would end badly. Something about the tranquillity of the air made her believe that somehow, things were going to work out… For a few seconds, she got the distinct impression that she wasn't alone on the rooftop. A familiar presence seemed to be by her side. She closed her eyes, listening closely as a friendly voice seemed to speak to her:

 _"Excellent choice, milady… Excellent choice."_

She smiled softly, as if to acknowledge the statement before getting to her feet. Yo-yo in hand, she allowed herself to take to the sky, chasing after the new hero.

Yes… Things would be fixed. They would be alright in the end.


End file.
